A “LOST” Second World War shelter has been uncovered after workmen hacked back bushes at a solar farm site.

The air-raid shelter was hidden in dense shrubbery on land at a waste water treatment plant in Montrose, Angus.

Contractors were clearing ground for the installation of a solar farm for Scottish Water Horizons, a subsidiary of Scottish Water, when the find was made.

The well-preserved shelter was part of the former RAF Montrose site and Mari Davies of Scottish Water Horizons said: “We knew that in the past the area could have been home to munitions and radioactive material, all remnants of the Second World War. Thankfully nothing hazardous was uncovered, which meant we were able to carry on with the work.

“However, once we’d cleared the land we made the unexpected discovery of a Second World War air-raid shelter.

“Although an interesting find, it did mean we have to alter our plans slightly to fit round it.”

The solar site is the project’s largest to date and will generate around 240,000kWh of energy a year, enough to boil a kettle more than 1.5 million times.

It is hoped that the green facility will offset around one fifth of the annual energy consumption by workers at the beachside plant.