Inside Chernobyl: The radioactive town nature has reclaimed

On the afternoon of April 27, 1986 a population of almost 50,000 abandoned the city following a catastrophic nuclear accident.

And 31 years later airline employee, Andreas Jansen, has visited the ghost town to photograph what nature has reclaimed.

He said: "I was still a student when I saw a documentary about the nuclear disaster of Chernobyl and the men who were called liquidators sacrificed their health and often even their lives while cleaning up the radioactive debris.

"The story had caught my attention so I read many articles about the disaster and often came across these intriguing pictures of this abandoned city. Since photography is one of my passions, I finally decided that I had to go there to see it for myself and to experience it.”

The overgrown streets of the abandoned city are silent and although they may seem safe and peaceful, the real threat is the invisible radiation.

Andreas said: “The biggest risk for visitors is getting in contact with radiated and contaminated dust or dirt. In order to minimise the risk of getting in direct contact with it, a strict 'dress code' is enforced.

"Visitors are not allowed to wear open shoes, shorts or skirts, and have to wear a jacket or long sleeved shirts to avoid skin contact as much as possible.

"Also heavy machines like bulldozers or tanks used in the cleanup immediately after the disaster are seriously contaminated must not be touched.”

There are mementos of the past across the city, from Soviet propaganda to items directly after the disaster.

The photographer said: “The most unusual thing I saw was a piece of fabric that was left on the counter at the entrance of the hospital.

"My guide explained that this piece of fabric came from one of the firefighters helmets who were brought in after the explosion. Even after 31 years the dosimeter flies off the scale and this makes you wonder how exposed the men must have been to the radiation on that night."