Pictures: Rare photographs of inside the Ironbridge Power Station

Trap doors, deep pools of water, rusting and sharp objects. All possess a danger to life and limb.

But photographer Chris Schurke today explained how he was able to amble around the site for hours unchallenged. It was enough time to photograph machinery, climb into outbuildings and even find his way inside the giant cooling towers.

Mr Schurke specialises in taking pictures of the county from unique perspectives.

He ventured inside the now decommissioned plant, where he managed to evade security for "a number of hours" while he explored the out-of-bounds power station.

He was eventually escorted off the premises, but not after he had collected a gallery of artistic photographs from across the complex.

The 28-year-old support worker said: "I do it for adventure, I don't want to have a boring life.

"It was pretty amazing, I wasn't expecting it to be so vast."

Mr Schurke said he does not force entry to get anywhere but instead tries to find unknown routes on to buildings or into areas that are not as popular.

During his visit around the power station, on the banks of the River Severn between Ironbridge and Buildwas, Mr Schurke went inside one of the iconic terracotta coloured cooling towers - designed to blend into the vista when the power station was built in 1962.

He spoke of his amazement at not being confronted by security staff. His pictures show the hazards that could bring a danger to any children who wander onto the site, with water around the cooling towers and rickety surfaces.

Mr Schurke won't divulge how he entered the site, but insists he did not break his way in. He says it was not easy to get on to the site, but once in he was able to explore largely at will.

While he did not enter the main power station building, he says large areas of the power station complex appeared to be largely unmonitored.

Photographs from his visit are on his website and have been shared across the internet.

He said: "The site was decomissioned in November, making it perhaps the most recent abandoned site I've explored so far. Most of the places I go to have been abandoned longer than I've been alive. The dust here hasn't even settled yet.

"Taking a look around, I actually didn't get much in the way of interior shots. The place was huge, and dotted with CCTV cameras, and security guards.

"Nevertheless it was photogenic. I stopped for some photos on the way up the cooling towers.

"It was risky – I was exposed to any security who happened to be strolling by.

"But the way I think about it is if I am spotted dashing up these stairs, trying not to be seen, then that will look suspicious, whereas if I look completely innocent, people will either assume I'm friendly and as a result not be too hostile, or just assume that I'm meant to be there.

"It made for some good photographs.

"The cooling towers were amazing to be inside.

"Had they been functioning, I'd be a little concerned for my life, but as it was, I could wander from one end of the vast expanse to the other.

"And as I walked, my footsteps and the clicking of the camera made a collossal echo around the vast tube.

"Several hours of exploring later I was captured by security, and eventually escorted out."

Some of Mr Schurke's pictures show how trap doors left open, now without ladders in place and the canals that run through the site open, potentially dangerous to others who may wander onto the site.

The pictures have caused a stir in Ironbridge, with many residents sharing the images of rarely seen spots – and others writing online about how keen they are to get in there themselves.

One resident, who didn't wish to be named, said he was surprised at how far he was able to get into the building before being stopped.

He said: "When it was decomissioned the first thing I thought was that it would be great to get in and take some pictures.

"Health and safety-wise, because it is a coal plant I don't think there would be too much to worry about with regards to nuclear waste, or things like that.

"I had heard a rumour that there was going to be open tours of the site."

The station was the powerhouse of Shropshire before it was decommissioned in November, ending 80 years of activity on the site.

The EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) required Ironbridge to close after generating for 20,000 hours from January 1, 2008 or by the end of 2015, whichever came first.

The site briefly gained a new lease of life in 2012 when it was given permission for a trial of the use of biofuel, bringing 100 new jobs to the station.

However, owner E.on has now passed the site to Uniper, a spin-off company that is in control of the power station while it is being decommissioned.

Uniper spokeswoman Roxanne Postle said: "The health and safety of our colleagues and the general public is our number one priority. We have strict security procedures in place at all of our sites to ensure that visitors are supervised by experienced staff at all times.

"This is an isolated incident that we are now fully investigating, but we strongly urge that people do not attempt to access the Ironbridge site, unless authorised to do so, for their own safety."