The woman, who has asked not to be named, was told six years ago of the reputed existence of a shelter in the garden of her home in the Pyle area of Bridgend but its presence had never been confirmed until now.

The homeowner, who has lived in the property for 12 years, said the previous resident of the home had lived there for 40 years and had told her of the existence of a shelter. Builders who were getting the surface ready for the outbuilding to be constructed found the shelter which was well hidden under under patio, soil, and a concrete slab. The resident who lives there said: "I haven’t told any local historians about it but I think people should definitely know about its existence."

She believes it could be the remains of an Anderson shelter from the Second World War. In total around 3.6m Anderson shelters – constructed in gardens of areas thought likely to be targeted during bombing raids by the German Luftwaffe – were installed around the UK by the end of the conflict in 1945. Few are thought to remain today, according to the Anderson Shelters history site. The shelters were made from "six curved sheets bolted together at the top with steel plates at either end and measuring 1.95m by 1.35m". The site adds that the shelters, designed to protect four adults and two children, "were half-buried in the ground with earth heaped on top".

The homeowner added: "I don't really know what to do with it to be honest. The plan is still to have the outbuilding there but I didn't know if anyone wanted to document it somehow."