A GROUP of photographers who explore disused and abandoned places across the UK visited the former Eli Lilly site in Basingstoke.

Urban Explorers were offered the chance to tour the vacant buildings by the company.

The pharmaceutical firm employed hundreds of people before closing the plant in Kingsclere Road, Basingstoke, in 2007.

A member of Urban Explorers, known only as Phantom Bish, told The Gazette about the history of the buildings, which were constructed in 1939.

The factory was painted white with bright neon signs, and opened for business on September 4 – the day after Britain declared war on Germany.

Phantom Bish, 21, from Basingstoke said: “The building got painted in green and brown camouflage to stop German bombers using it as a route marker during the war. The building is believed to be tornado proof, the design being copied from Lilly’s Kansas factory.”

The neon signs were also switched off and an anti-aircraft gun stationed on site.

“The company had precious little time to reap any reward from its considerable investment in Basingstoke before war intervened”, Phantom Bish said, “but at least the new factory had been built and partially equipped, and was ready to make a significant contribution firstly to war effort and later to the supply of pharmaceutical needs to an exhausted post-war Britain.”

One of his pictures shows an armoured glass porthole – all that remains of the liver concentrate plant operating on the site more than 30 years ago.

It looked into a room, reinforced against dust explosion, where the final grinding of dried liver and hog’s stomach took place under remote control.

The final product – Lextron, was a liver, stomach concentrate with iron and vitamin B for treatment of pernicious anaemia.

Seven members of Urban Explorers were given an exclusive tour, including access to one and a half miles of underground tunnels.

Phantom Bish said: “There are so many places that people drive past every day for years but they don’t know anything about. I’m trying to get in and uncover the history.”

A spokesperson for Eli Lilly, which now has offices in Priestley Road, Basingstoke, said: “We’re pleased that we were able to facilitate a final visual record of the site.”

The site could was to be transformed into housing and retail after Lemon Land won outline planning permission for a £200m scheme there, and on the neighbouring Victoria plot.

But the controversial proposals remain in doubt because the Victoria site is advertised ‘for sale’ by agents London Clancy, which is acting on behalf of Bank of Scotland.