Rescuers in Spain have said they hope in about 35 hours to find a two-year-old boy who fell in a borehole six days ago.

Angel Garcia, the leading engineer coordinating the search-and-rescue operation in Totalan near Malaga, said that estimate depends on everything “going favourably”.

Mr Garcia said a drill is perforating a hole, and then two or three experts in mining rescues will dig a horizontal tunnel to the location where they believe the toddler fell.

Mr Garcia said: “We are hopeful that we can get to him as soon as possible and bring him to his parents.”

There has been no vocal contact made with Julen Rosello, who fell into the 360ft hole last Sunday.