diff --git a/utils/shapefile/shapefile_reader.py b/utils/shapefile/shapefile_reader.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b265660e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/shapefile/shapefile_reader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# Utility to interrogate ESRI shape files
+
+import os
+import sys
+import struct
+
+if __name__ == "__main__" :
+
+    if len(sys.argv) !=2:
+        print>>sys.stderr, "Usage:",sys.argv[0],"<shapefile>"
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    shx_filename = sys.argv[1][:-3]+"shx"
+    shp_filename = sys.argv[1][:-3]+"shp"
+
+    shx = open(shx_filename)
+    shp = open(shp_filename)
+
+    header = (struct.Struct(">IIIIIII"),struct.Struct("<IIdddddddd"))
+    _,_,_,_,_,_,file_length = header[0].unpack_from(shx.read(28))
+    _,_,lox,loy,hix,hiy,_,_,_,_ = header[1].unpack_from(shx.read(72))
+
+    print "FILE_LENGTH=",file_length
+    print "BBOX(",lox,loy,hix,hiy,")"
+    record_header = struct.Struct(">II")
+    record = struct.Struct(">II")
+    while shx.tell() < file_length * 2 :
+        offset,_ =  record.unpack_from(shx.read(8))
+        shp.seek(offset*2, os.SEEK_SET)
+        record_number,record_length = record_header.unpack_from(shp.read(8))
+        print (2*offset),record_number,record_length