KING Arthur Pendragon has said the Stonehenge Tunnel will "permanently damage" the World Heritage site and that he foresees "a number a legal challenges" against the decision.

It was confirmed on Thursday that the Secretary of State of Transport, Grant Shapps, had given plans to build a a two-mile (3.2km) tunnel the green light.

Arthur, 66, has spent years protesting traffic plans for the site.

He said: "What bothers me most about the Secretary of State's decision to go ahead with the ill thought-out tunnel plans is the total disregard for the years of public consultations and the many public meetings attended by the people of Salisbury who listened through the hours days and sometimes weeks of evidence for and against, only to have the Inspectorate rule against the plans and the Government to totally disregard the advise of their Inspectorate and give the go ahead to a scheme that they know will permanently damage the outstanding universal value of a World Heritage site."

He added: "What an utter waste of the 'magic money tree' the Government have obviously found since the Austerity measures they subjected us to. If a job's worth doing why not do it properly?

"This is a World Heritage site and deserves a scheme worthy of such. I am very disappointed with the decision and foresee a number of legal challenges and protest to it."

Pendragon also told the Sun newspaper that the builders that dig the tunnel will be haunted by ancient spirits, and added that workers disturbing sacred ground at the world heritage site should “pray to their gods” first.