Poland is to press ahead with building a new canal to bypass a stretch of land and water controlled by Russia in order to show its neighbour that Poland is a "sovereign country".

The canal will cut through a narrow strip of land separating the Vistula Lagoon in the north-east of Poland and the Baltic Sea.

At the moment all maritime traffic from the Polish port of Elblag has to go through Russian controlled waters to reach the Baltic.

The decision to cut across the spit comes despite environmental concerns and fears the canal could undermine its appeal as a popular tourist destination.