Urban explorer's secret tourist spots: 18 hauntingly beautiful pictures of abandoned buildings

For the past two years urban explorer Matt Emmett, 42, from Reading, has scoured the UK and Europe to capture the eerie beauty of abandoned buildings: Weeds breaking through walls and floors; the empty hallway of a deserted school and desolate factories after their workers have moved on.

His hobby is not without controversy - the locations of the pictures are withheld to prevent metal theives and graffiti artists robbing them of their beauty. Many have 'No Entry' signs, but Matt ignores them to take the stunning photographs. You can see more of his work on his Facebook and Flickr page.