A man who was allegedly seen being 'escorted' from a hidden underground space at Bristol harbourside could have just been someone carrying out maintenance, accounts from authorities suggest. Several people have shared claims on social media suggesting that they had witnessed police removing rubbish, belongings and even people from underneath the Cascade Steps fountains on Anchor Road over the Coronation weekend.
Commenting underneath a photo of a cordoned-off hatch that leads beneath the defunct water feature, one person wrote on Instagram: "I saw a bloke getting pulled [out] of there by police. A lot of the police officers were laughing." While another added: "I saw the commotion; you could still hear Oasis blaring out of the hole whilst the police were pulling the bloke out!!"
However, Avon and Somerset Police told Bristol Live that they have no record of attending the location between Friday and Sunday. A staff member at local businesses said that while they did see a member of the harbour master's office entering the hatch on Friday (May 5), they did not see any incidents involving the police and thought it unlikely to occur in such a busy area without being spotted.
Read More: Urban explorers get into Bristol's secret tunnels hidden under city centre
Bristol City Council has now confirmed that an electrical contractor went down the hatch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to carry out essential maintenance but said that there is no evidence to corroborate the other claims being made, and that none of their associated services either found or was involved in the claims that people or belongings were removed from the void.
The contractor's presence seems to have caused confusion for passers-by. Underneath an image of the cordoned-off hatch on Instagram, another person wrote: "I saw some police pull some empty cans out of there, but I thought they were just clearing the litter." They added: "My dad was there on Saturday and said he saw police carrying a TV into a police van."
The original poster of the image captioned it: "Reports of people hearing the sound of TV and music coming from under the waterfall steps. There is a rumour that people have been living underneath here and had to be removed by the police this week."
While it seems unlikely, it wouldn't be the first time Bristolians have headed underground in unusual locations. In March, a team of urban explorer travelled into the maze of subterranean rivers and tunnels that run under Bristol city centre from the Floating Harbour close to Castle Park View, capturing the adventure on video.
Residents may be unaware that when walking around the centre of Bristol, beneath their feet is a warren of underground passages, many interlinked, making it possible to walk from Corn Street under the centre to Castle Park. Some of the tunnels date back to the 12th century when Bristol was the centre for wine imports.
Meanwhile, around Phoenix Wharf, beside the Ostrich Inn, it's possible to spot three openings built into the red, sandstone cliffs that lead to the Redcliffe caves, a system of mining tunnels believed to date back to the late Middle Ages.
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- Crystal clear water and the marks of the monks - the incredible videos inside Bristol's secret 650-year-old water tunnels
- The eerie inside of Oaklands, an abandoned care home near Bristol
- Look inside one of Bristol's derelict eyesores the Royal Mail Sorting office
