Festung Guernsey dismayed by WWII tunnel destruction

The unauthorised demolition of a World War II tunnel has dismayed a Guernsey historical group.

The small concrete structure next to a gun emplacement off the Rue de L'Arquet, St Saviour, and was taken down last summer.

The landowner, who the BBC has been unable to contact, has applied for retrospective permission for the work.

Paul Bourgaize, from Festung Guernsey, said he would have liked to have mapped the site before it was demolished.

Largest guns

He said: "We don't want to see anything demolished as it is part of our heritage, but in cases where things need to be removed or altered we'd just like the opportunity to record it properly so people in the future know exactly what was there."

The tunnel is part of a complex supporting the German Batterie Mirus, which contained the four largest guns placed in the Channel Islands.

The naval guns had a range of 32 miles (51km) and originally came from the Russian dreadnought the Imperator Aleksandr III.

The Environment Department is due to make a decision on planning approval for the work after the public consultation on the plans closes on 13 April.