China have appeared to ramp up work on the Great Wall of Sand as dredgers get to work on turning disputed islands into military bases in the South China Sea.

New satellite images show more than 20 dredgers at work, picking up sand and mud from the seabed and bringing it onto the surface to lay a foundation for new construction.

Despite a 2015 pledge to stop the expansion, Work is taking place around the Antelope Reef, which forms part of the Paracel Islands and is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

Read more: China builds the Great Wall of Sand: Xi Jinping orders massive dredger campaign to turn disputed islands into military bases in South China Sea