Footage shows a five-year-old boy who is skilfully operating an excavator used to repair a broken canal.

Theo Paays' hands and feet may be small, but they were agile enough to work the pedals and levers inside the huge machine in Maluku province, Indonesia.

His neighbour, Marios Pattiasina, said the boy always had talents in driving vehicles.

He said: "He is really good for his age. We are repairing a canal for the rainy season and he was asked by the adults to show his skills."

The canal was filled with debris from the bridge that recently collapsed. They have to remove the huge rocks so the water can freely flow.

He was supervised by his grandfather Anthony Paays while helping to remove the rocks that are blocking the water passageway.

Grandfather Anthony said: "He is only a kid so I didn't think of teaching him. He taught himself by watching me." said Anthony.

Anthony is the supervisor of the road construction project, so he always has heavy equipment lying near their house.

He added: "There was also a tractor that my grandson used to play with. I had to pull out the tractor's battery because he always drove the tractor."