A mysterious hole has appeared on a Camberwell estate, where an old World War Two air raid shelter used to be.
This morning (Thursday 2 November) residents of the Moffat House on the Comber Estate were greeted with the large hole – which they believe was caused by heavy rain overnight.
“I guess it’s the local impact of Storm Ciarán,” said Liz Boulter, who has lived there for ten years.
At first, Liz said she thought it was a sinkhole, commenting: “You always see them on the news and you never think it’s going to happen to you.
“It was really surprising to see it this morning when I opened my curtains. It’s amazing what a few hours of very heavy rain can do.”
After speaking to her neighbour, Kevin Dunn, 67, she discovered that it had appeared in the same place as an old bomb shelter from World War Two.
Kevin explained: “I’m still in touch with the woman who lived in this house in the 1930s and she told me a while ago that there were air raid shelters where the grass is now and they were filled in after the war.”
“They must have filled it in and put grass over the top.”
He added: “I was taken aback when I first saw it. I thought – blimey. I’ve lived here for thirty-nine years and this is the first time something like this has happened.”
Liz commented that after assessing it she ‘doesn’t think there’s any risk’ of it spreading. Even so, Southwark Council have been notified.