AN air raid shelter is to be turned into a cinema room after being dug up during building work.

Peter Malcom of Blenheim Close in Upper Rissington discovered an uncovered World War II air raid shelter whilst extending his home.

Mr Malcom said: "It was just beneath where the patio was and I found it, I had no idea what it was when I first saw it.

"We did some research and dug up the other end, and found that it was a World War II air raid shelter. We did not have to dig far to find it.

"There was an RAF base in Upper Rissington during the war so it must have been there because of that."

The shelter, which Mr Malcom believes is around 9.8 metres long and 2.15 metres wide, was originally viewed as an inconvenience, as he thought it would delay the extension plans, but he soon noticed the possibilities.

Mr Malcom contacted Cotswold District Council, who gave him the go-ahead to add the shelter to their extension plan.

The application had just included alterations to the garage to create an office and a back extension before the plan got a surprise makeover.

The shelter will be extended to allow for steps down to the converted shelter as well as making the shelter itself larger.

The shelter will require structural work and a new roof provided as well as the floors and walls to be insulated and waterproofed.

Mr Malcom added: "I was a bit concerned to start with, but once we discovered what it was we decided to add it to our extension plan, it is a bit of history and we did not want to waste that.

"We are turning it into a cinema room once it has been extended."