Kettering school children discover forgotten air raid shelter

The unusual structure, possibly provided for railway workers, was uncovered in the school grounds

A group of children discovered an air raid shelter during a clear-up at their school.

The shelter was found at St Peter's Independent School in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

The school is now working with the nearby Sywell Aviation Museum to find out more about the structure which may have been built for railway workers.

Mark Thomas, the school's head teacher, said the "vast" shelter was in "excellent condition".

He believed it had capacity for up to 100 people and said it was found while children were clearing an area "in the undergrowth".

The school was founded in 1946.

"Long term we'd like to make it into a learning space for children," said Mr Thomas. "But obviously it needs to be cleared as safe [first]."

It is thought the shelter could have had a capacity for up to 100 people

In a post on Facebook, Sywell Aviation Museum said the shelter was "of a distinctive design often found on London Midland Scottish railway sites and as the school is adjacent to the former Kettering marshalling yards is likely to have been constructed for that purpose".

Anyone with information about the history of the shelter was asked to contact Mr Thomas or Sywell Aviation Museum.

The shelter was uncovered after work to clear undergrowth in the grounds