A nail bar in Kingston is home to a remarkable slice of British history, it was revealed recently.

A concrete fortification dating from the Second World War was spotted blending into the wall of the I Love Nails salon in Kingston by local journalist Mark Wallace.

Mr Wallace previously studied archaeology, and as a Kingston resident often walks through the area.

Last week (March 27) he posted a thread to Twitter, now seen and shared on micro-blogging site hundreds of times, in which he revealed the extra-thick portion of the nail bar to in fact be a WWII hangover in the form of a hastily constructed defence wall.

Speaking to the Surrey Comet about his discovery, Mr Wallace said: "Thousands of these were built during the Second World War, many stitched together in a mad rush, and many of them were taken apart very soon after the war ended. There was a move to get the high streets, fields and beaches back...some things survived by accident, because people forgot about them.

"A lot of stuff has been demolished because people thought they were boring or didn't realize what they were."

Mr Wallace said he confirmed the fortification as genuine (dating from 1940-41) after checking it through the Defence of Britain online archaeological project.

While the discovery attracted the attention of thousands of Twitter users online, the interest in discovering a local archaeological wonder hiding in plain sight like this is already under threat of being cut short.

As Mr Wallace highlighted and the Surrey Comet can confirm, a planning application for a new office in the area could see the relic of Britain's darkest hour destroyed in the coming months.

The proposed plans submitted to Kingston Borough Council (RBK) read: "Demolition of all existing and the erection of a part two part eight storey office (Class B1a) building, with a basement and on site cycle parking"

If approved, the I Love Nails salon and the attached WWII fortification could be demolished.

In a statement sent to the Surrey Comet, RBK said that they were aware of the archaeological significance of the site and that a final decision on the application was yet to be taken.

A spokesperson for RBK said: "A planning application has been submitted for 2B St James's Road.

"The site is in an area of archaeological significance and the council is aware of the World War Two fortified wall, picked up in the Defence of Britain survey.

"The council will ensure this is properly considered and investigated, including how any archaeology is managed before any decision is made."

Mr Wallace said that it would be regrettable if the fortification was destroyed so soon after gaining attention to the wider public — there clearly being genuine interest about this piece of local history.

Mr Wallace said: "These things are becoming increasingly rare and I think it would be a shame if this thing was completely steamrollered, ironically just as people were finding out about it."

"I think it would be a great shame. You'd lose part of our history as a country and its an interesting part of local history too."