A 30 foot shaft has incredibly appeared by a golf course in Cornwall, following a period of extremely heavy rainfall.
Perranporth Golf Club has warned people, including locals and dog walkers, to beware of the gaping hole.
The hole is a ventilation shaft, leading to a maze of old mining tunnels.
Fortunately, the six-and-a-half feet wide and 25 to 30 feet deep hole has appeared off both the golf course and three footpaths.
Golf club general manager Nathan Gilpin said: “From what mining specialists have been able to decipher – this is a ventilation shaft.
“It doesn’t show up on any mining surveys and it’s not big enough for people to have climbed up and down it.
“Several other shafts have also opened up on council-owned land nearby – they have all popped up after the storm and the rains we’ve had.
“We are looking at our options and speaking with some local experts about what we might need to do.
“Obviously with it not being directly a shaft and not being on the actual golf course or residential land there are a few different options.
Image: Perranporth Golf Club
“Luckily it’s not somewhere where you’re going to build a house on top!”
Gilpin revealed the shaft had not opened up on a designated footpath – but it is in an area where people sometimes walk their dogs, despite not being allowed to.
The shaft has been cordoned off with fencing until the necessary works are able to be carried out.
This comes after several gaping holes opened up in the middle of sand dunes in the seaside village following heavy rain.
The club posted its warning on the Perranzabuloe Community Facebook page. It said: “We have been made aware of a sinkhole/old mining works on the Golf Club land. We will be roping this area off until necessary works can be carried out.
“Could we please ask that dog walkers please stick to the designated public footpaths only when walking across the golf course land at present? The public footpaths are looked at and maintained.
“Areas like this are not designated footpaths and therefore we are not always looking at them or maintaining them. Given that three sinkholes have been generated within the area the last week it is imperative for people’s safety that they do so as we request.”
Gilpin added: “It’s in an area where someone was walking their dog where they shouldn’t have been.
“We have three public footpaths across the course and these are the only routes people should be walking across the dunes.
“Fortunately, people are still able to play golf on the course.
“If someone hits the ball there – at the site of the shaft – they should leave the golf course immediately!”