The appearance of a mysterious large hole has baffled experts since it was discovered on Saturday.

The hole, which is about a yard across and two feet deep, appeared opposite the offices of Epping Forest District Council on the town green sometime between Friday and Saturday morning.

A number of theories have been discussed about how the hole appeared, but earlier claims that it is a “sinkhole” have been dismissed by experts who said that it is probably too small.

Possible reasons for the hole include previous excavation of the land, recent heavy rainfall or a hoax designed to confuse town officials.

General secretary of the Geologist’s Association Diana Clements said the hole’s appearance was “intriguing”.

She said: “One possibility is a minor landslip but the contours are not tight at this point and the pictures imply that the land is fairly level so that seems unlikely. 

“I wonder if an earlier sign was once on this spot and not well backfilled? It does not seem to be an animal hole.

“Holes and landslips are usually related to periods of heavy rainfall and this is the season they often appear. Otherwise they can be caused by leaking pipes.

“I would say it is a bit of a mystery but it does not look sinister to me.” 

Epping town clerk Alan Shaw said the hole had surprised councillors and it was not completely clear when it first emerged.

He said: “We do not know when it opened up, we do not think it was there on Friday.

“You might lose a dog down it or a small child. Obviously it is a hazard.”

The green is maintained by Epping Town Council but owned by the City of London corporation, which has been approached for comment.