Air raid shelter raided 'by overzealous WWII enthusiasts' (From Your Local Guardian)

Air raid shelter in Carshalton Park raided 'by overzealous WWII enthusiasts'

8:28am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Sutton

The bottle stolen from the air raid shelter

Mystery surrounds a break-in at a newly discovered air raid shelter.

Sutton Council is looking to bring in more extensive security measures at the shelter in Carshalton Park, after evidence emerged it had been breached and some of its contents removed.

Thieves are understood to have removed a skip placed over the entrance of the shelter, before going inside and taking an earthenware bottle.

One line of inquiry from the council is that overzealous WWII enthusiasts went into the shelter to look for artefacts.

Councillor Ruth Dombey, deputy leader of Sutton Council, said: "It’s a real shame that whoever got down took an earthenware jug - it may not be worth much financially but it’s part of the area’s community history and whoever did it should hang their heads in shame."

The WWII air raid shelter which protected hundreds of people from German bombs was discovered after Sutton Council's parks service received a report on January 3 from a member of the public about a hole in Carshalton Park.

Closer inspection by a council worker in just his second week of work uncovered the shelter, which it is thought could have held up to 1,000 people.

The area was cordoned off while safety tests were organised, meaning the area was off-limits.

But despite metal fences, and a skip being placed over the entrance to the hole, a council report states people have still been gaining unauthorised access.

Officers have instructed a company to construct and install a lockable metal cover to stop people going inside.

While the council have been angered by the loss of the jug, coun Dombey said the interest in the air raid shelter had been overwhelmingly positive, with more than 150 people coming forward to share their memories of war time Carshalton, as a result, including those who remembered spending time in the bunker.