The well-preserved bodies of two Napoleonic soldiers have been found in one of the tunnels at Fort Amherst.

Experts from the Imperial War Museum have been called in to examine the remains, which were discovered in one of the little-used tunnels in the Chatham fortress.

Astonishingly, the bodies were still wearing their uniforms and the muskets they were carrying are still thought to be in working order.

A spokesman for Fort Amherst said:" How they got there is a mystery to us. The tunnel in which they were found has not been properly explored for a very long time. It was amazing. They looked as though they had only arrived yesterday.

"For a while we thought a terrible accident had befallen some members of one of our re-enactment groups. But on closer examination they were soon found to be soldiers of Napoleon's Army."

One theory is that the soldiers were part of a small group which may have come ashore in one of the creeks near Upchurch and made their way towards

Chatham Dockyard. They feared they would be discovered and took refuge in the tunnel, but then probably died of starvation. The cool, dry atmosphere in the tunnel preserved their bodies.

Fort Amherst was built to deter any advance by Napoleonic Forces towards Chatham Dockyard. The Great Lines (of defence) nearby were built to give clear lines of fire to the defenders. But the fort never fired a single shot in anger.