British scientists are preparating to drill 3km through the Antarctic ice to a lake that has been cut off from the rest of the world for up to half a million years.

The 12-man team hopes to find lifeforms in Lake Ellsworth that have evolved in isolation to withstand the cold, lack of nutrients and total darkness.

They will begin melting a 36-cm wide borehole through the ice over the coming days.

The equipment has been designed from scratch and has been cleaned to avoid contaminating the pristine water of the lake.