A pair of intrepid explorers ventured into a labyrinth of dark tunnels immaculately preserved under one of Liverpool's most eye-catching landmarks, the Littlewoods Pools building.
Two urban explorers, identified only as Brian and Mike, traversed the ruins of the old bunker, which appeared to span the length of the old pools building, and documented their journey in a 14-minute video on their YouTube account, The Urban Don.
After entering the bunker, the camera followed the two men through dark, deserted corridors with old portraits of people painted on the concrete walls.
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One of the men said: "It really does match up with the structure outside. It's a big old bunker for a big old building."
The two-man team found old, abandoned pots and pants, and a broken-down set of ladders leading to what was once an exit.
At one point, one of the men said: "I feel like we're going to keep going through this forever and ever. We're going to end up back in Yorkshire soon."
As they continued through the tunnels, they added: "I love this. That artwork was just an added bonus. I'd have been happy anyway just to have a wander around here. It's some size, isn't it. Every bit to match the building outside."
He later added that the "brilliant" portraits were probably painted "long before me and you were walking this Earth" and that he was "sure they'll still be there long after we're gone as well."
The Littlewoods pools building, which overlooks Wavertree Botanic Gardens, was built in 1938 to serve as headquarters for the company's betting enterprise. During World War II, it was requisitioned by the government and became the home of the postal censorship department, inspecting mail to prevent the risk of sensitive information crossing enemy lines. It was later used as a centre of manufacturing Halifax bomber parts.
After the war, the building was returned to Littlewoods Pools, which operated until its closure in November 1994. Since then, the distinctive art deco-style structure has stood empty, a fading monument to the retail giant's former empire. A fire tore through the landmark in September 2018, causing damage to the roof and upper floor of the west wing.
But hope lies on the horizon, as plans to convert the building into a film studio have gained momentum over the last few years, leading to Liverpool Council putting forward £70m to build 85,000sqft of studio and ancillary space in December 2021.
Concerns were raised about the financial viability of the project at the time, and regeneration work earmarked for last year failed to materialise. However, owners Capital & Centric confirmed that the plans are still moving forward in December 2022.
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