A mall in Thailand that used to be awash with shoppers is now teeming with fish after the abandoned building was flooded.

The New World Mall, in Bangkok, was closed in 1997 after it was found to have breached building regulations, before a fire in 1999 left it without a roof.

Rainwater slowly filled the building with water, causing a major mosquito problem. In an effort to rid themselves of the pests, the locals introduced freshwater talapia fish to eat the insects.

The fish thrived, quickly multiplied, and now fill the lower floors of the mall, swimming around rusty escalators and across the 5,000sqft floor.

Shops around the mall sell fish food to tourists who visit, but throwing anything else into the subterranean lake is banned in order to protect the aquatic inhabitants.

Backpacker Jesse Rockwell, 30, stumbled across the deserted mall while travelling in Thailand.

He said: 'It is quite bizarre - I was really surprised when I came across it. It is literally three blocks away from backpacker central, but nobody is even aware it is there.

'It was very quiet in the mall, I could only hear the sound of splashing fish, even though it's close to a main road.'

Mr Rockwell, from Santa Rosa, California, USA, added : 'A sign written in Thai outside says 'Do not throw anything into the water' - so people are trying to protect the fish.'

New World Mall, found on Bang Lam Pu Junction in Bangkok's old town, was built in the 1980s.

The company that built the mall was found to be in breach of building regulations as the 11-storey mall was seven floors taller than the approved construction blueprint.

The mall was forced to close in 1997 and was set ablaze in 1999, leading to its partial demolition.

The fifth to eleventh floors were later dismantled so the empty shopping centre was in line with the original construction plans.

Mr Rockwell, a chef, said: "Some people think it was set ablaze because it was too tall. Lots of people in old town Bangkok think it is insulting to build something taller than The Grand Palace.

'So when the mall was built people got really angry.'