A huge network of underground caves has been discovered under a branch of a clothing retailer in Thanet, Kent.

We all know that Primark can be a bit labyrinthine, but this is ridiculous.

The Primark in Thanet reopened at the beginning of this week after closing because a sinkhole appeared in the car park.

And as these images taken by the Thanet Hidden History group show, it really is quite something.

The branch underwent several months of emergency repairs, but something even more intriguing had already gone on far below the store.

The cave network underneath shoppers’ feet could be more than 100 years old. It is thought it may have been used during both World Wars for army training exercises.

The Primark first opened in 2011 and its customers had no idea what they were walking above.

The remarkable tunnels were first discovered by the owners of the Westwood Cross Shopping Centre in Thanet a few years ago, and local history group Thanet Hidden History gained access to them in 2014, when they took these pictures, which they posted this week on their Facebook page.

The owners of the shopping centre sent a Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Defence in 2015, asking for maps of the underground network, Kent Live reported.

They wrote: ‘We have recently discovered tunnels underneath our property and have reason to believe these were created by the army during the First World War as a training exercise.’

However, the MoD said it had ‘no information’ on the caves. Thanet Hidden History says an air raid shelter underneath the shopping centre was sealed off a few years ago to prevent further damage.

On its Facebook page, Thanet Hidden History wrote: ‘Primark reopens its ground floor shopping area again at Westwood Cross tomorrow 31st July.

‘World war two underground tunnels caused subsidence for the second time at the store in the space of 3 years.

‘The ground level shopping area was closed off until lengthy repairs were made. We were lucky enough to get a record of this back in 2014. Hidden History, under your feet even on a Saturday shopping spree!’

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