Interesting news item, will be interesting to see if this council do anything

[Atarah]

Just seen an interesting item on telly.
Nearly five hundred Birkenhead civillians were killed by the Luftwaffe raids of May 1940 to November 1941. Deep tunnel shelters were known to be the only answer to the German bombs. After sixty four years the Friends of Tranmere Tunnels are committed to opening up the deep shelters as a Heritage Education Centre. The tunnels were built by the Birkenead Corporation to protect the Cammel Laird ship workers and their families.
The tunnels have been sealed since the late 1980's to prevent vandalism, and to prevent people from getting lost within the maze of tunnels. They are over 6,500 feet in total length with their own libraries, canteen, toilets and first aid posts. There were over 4,500 bunk beds and over 1,500 seats.
There were three entrances situated off Queen Street, with three ventilation/escape shafts situated above the tunnels.
After the war the toilet fittings were supposedly used on the new Woodchurch housing estate. The Admiralty used the tunnels at the end of the war. The government kept an option on them and paid for the maintainance of the tunnels.
During the escalation of the cold war the tunnels were viewed as a possible civilian air raid shelter providing total protection against nuclear weapons. Eventually the tunnels fell into disuse and local people began to use them as an adventure playground, graffiti can still be seen in the tunnels to this day.
Concern in the latter part of the 1980's over the danger of children falling down the airshafts led the council to authorise the sealing of the tunnels, but not before local people were allowed a guided tour. It was assumed to be the last time the public would have access to the tunnels.
Just thought it might interest some of our members.

[Ifty]

They should do em up and have it as an attraction doing tours of it.