A bomb shelter has been unearthed in the garden of an Isleworth house after lying hidden for many years.

Matt Longley stumbled upon the underground bunker in the back yard of his family home in Chestnut Grove while giving the garden a makeover.

The 31-year-old father-of-one said he was digging up a 'horrible' concrete fountain when a hole appeared in the ground.

"When we moved in last February we noticed a wooden door in the floor of the garage but the estate agent said was a sump for working on a car's undercarriage so we thought nothing of it," he added.

"When we discovered the hole in the ground we crow-barred it open and sure enough there were was an old ladder leading down to what is a big old room."

Matt Longley lowers the ladder in his garage to descend the eight feet drop to reach the bomb shelter

Mr Longley added that he didn't know whether it was a Second World War air raid shelter or a 60s Cold War bunker.

The walls are up to three feet thick and although it has plug sockets which appear to date from the 50s or 60s, he said these could have been added later.

He is keen to know if other people in the neighbourhood have anything similar in their back gardens.

As for what he and his wife plan to do with the bunker, he said: "We're definitely going to keep it and hopefully use it. I've been looking for somewhere to keep a drum kit."

The site of the old fountain at Matt Longley's garden in Chestnut Grove, Isleworth, above the bunker

Isleworth was heavily bombarded during the Second World War due to its proximity to the river, which was used to transport munitions.

A memorial was recently unveiled on Isleworth Green to those in the area killed by the bombs.

* Do you know when the shelter was built? Do you have anything similar in your garden? Email robert.cumber@trinitymirror.com