Suspected bank robber rescued from collapsed tunnel near Vatican

Police believe the man may have been part of a gang

Italian firefighters dig up the road to rescue a man blocked in the tunnel (AP)

Police in Rome have rescued a man from a collapsed tunnel near the Vatican - and believe he may have been digging it to try and rob a bank.

The man is now in hospital but has been arrested, as well as a second suspect, for damage to public property. He was rescued after apparently begging for help.

Firefighters took several hours to free him.

Police believe the pair may have been part of a gang preparing to rob one of two nearby banks, reported Rai News.

It is believed three other people fled the six-metre (20 feet) tunnel before it collapsed. Police are still making investigations, according to media reports.

The tunnel was found shortly before the 15 August long weekend in the Italian capital, when much of the city empties.

Local residents said they thought the hole was being used to help renovations of a nearby property.

Two of those arrested were from Naples, one from Rome.