Don't miss a thing by getting the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox Dark, dangerous, and a magnet for trouble, the subway was facing closure.
But that would have also meant a massive inconvenience for hundreds of local people who still use it every day. The solution was to inject some civic pride by taking inspiration from nature.
The result is spectacular - the subway has been transformed by wildlife murals, with a pledge from local school children and volunteers to police it and maintain its new look.
The pedestrian tunnel, in Whitecross, Warrington, had become a target for anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and graffiti, and with residents fearing using it at night, it was threatened with closure.
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