A secret 60-year-old fire station, complete with equipment and uniforms, has been discovered in the basement of a Black Country factory.

Staff at The Alan Nuttall Partnership have carried out a thorough investigation of the hidden fire base. It had been tucked away at the large Dudley factory which has been the company’s home since 1986.

The room contained perfectly preserved uniforms, with the names of the wearers chalked above them. Scrawled names include I Silk, W Price and A Round.

Documents suggest the items date back to the early 1950s, when the local Co-op, which had its own fire brigade, operated from the building. Matt Hornblower, Nuttall''s Operations Directir said:

“This is such a large site that there are little corners that no-one goes into. But recently we came in and had a good look around, and we still keep finding things that we didn’t know were here.

“The most impressive piece in there is a pump trailer, powered by a petrol or diesel engine. Still bright red, with ‘CWS DUDLEY’ lettered in gold on the front, it looks as though all it needs is a bit of a wipe down.

Also on display is a certificate awarded to one of the men when the Dudley brigade entered competitions with other Co-op forces. Marketing manager Anna Bamford added:

“We’re sure there is someone out there who would have the knowledge and expertise to restore the pump, and perhaps there are people or organisations who might want to help out.

"If there is anyone who is interested in restoring it, or giving us some advice, we’d love to hear from them.”

If you think you could help, call Anna Bamford on 01384 245100, or email anna.bamford@nuttalls.co.uk