Filling/removing air vents

[EggMella]

Hi,

I'm redecorating my 1930's house and one of the bedrooms has an air vent about the size of a brick with a wooden hatch over it. There's one in the kitchen as well. Can I just fill the bedroom one and plaster over it or do I need to keep it?

No idea why it's there, the bedroom in question is above the kitchen... Also do I need to attach a fan to the one in the kitchen as per the bathroom?

cheers
Eggers

Edit to say: DOH... Topic already covered

 

[kevindgas]

is there a chimney above this? as it sounds like an air vent for a disused fireplace
if it is you will get damp problems if you block it or remove it

 

[EggMella]

I think the house originally had gas fires in the room. These have since been disconnected and removed. This room has no chimney in it, it's a semi and all the vents are on the wall opposite the party wall.

Edit: to clarify that this room might not have had a gas fire in, the only reason I said this is because there appears to be a capped gas pipe coming out of the skirting board.