DERELICT mills, abandoned hospitals, empty swimming pools and the projection room at Bradford’s old Odeon cinema are among the “lost buildings” of a striking photography exhibition.

Photographer Simon Sugden - a member of the Telegraph & Argus Camera Club - has spent 10 years capturing images of decaying architecture across the UK, including old mills in this district and the former funfair at the top of Shipley Glen Tramway. The images will be displayed in The Beauty in Decay, at Bradford’s Trapezium Gallery, followed by a book in May.

Simon, of Riddlesden, says the places he has photographed are past their prime and no longer occupied, with “an eerie sense of a forgotten time”. He bought his first digital single-lens reflex camera 12 years ago “for 200 quid from a mate in a pub” and taught himself to use it. He has photographed local places such as the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre and regeneration projects like Sunbridge Wells and the Odeon building.

“I’m inspired by dereliction in architecture; when decay takes over and creates a different kind of beauty,” said Simon, who does freelance work for Bradford Council, giving him access to buildings usually closed to the public. “I started off going round empty mills in Bradford, it’s fascinating to see them, still standing since the days when Bradford’s skyline was filled with hundreds of chimneys.

“I’ve been around the country photographing abandoned mills, hospitals, even a morgue. I documented Drummonds Mill for four years, it was an amazing space that meant a lot to people. I recently photographed the Richard Dunn centre. I think it’s important to document these places before they go forever.”

He added: “I choose not to title the images, to protect the locations and their natural state of decay.”

In 2015 Simon won an award from Bradford’s Inspired By Light competition. “That got me noticed, and I started to get images into magazines, newspapers and on album covers,” he said. “Last year I had a stall at Cliffe Castle Museum which led to this exhibition.”

Pauline Cooke of Trapezium said: “Although the sites Simon explores stand forlorn, the photographs capture another side to dereliction - beauty wrought by nature and the elements as they reclaim these sites. They appear galvanised, redeemed. This may be an illusion but is testament to the skill of the photographer, who depicts scenes bathed in warm light and vivid colour.”

* The Beauty In Decay is at Trapezium Gallery, Kirkgate, February 22 to March 14. Simon will host a ‘Meet the Photographer’ session, 12noon-2pm on Saturday, February 22.