Ring mains and consumer unit

Firstly, lighting circuits are almost never run in rings, but in radials. Radial circuits are ones that run in a tree like fashion, branching wherever is convenient. (They don't have to branch, if they don't want to).

Socket circuits can be run in rings OR radials. However, standard 2.5mm cable is not suitable for running a 32A socket circuit in a radial. Thicker cable must be used (usually 4mm or 6mm, depending on details) or the circuit derated to 20A.

I suspect that either your house is wired using radial circuits, or that extra cables enter the consumer unit concealed from behind.

It is not possible to determine if a radial or ring circuit is in use simply by examining the connections at the sockets.

This doesn't make sense at all. I do hope you aren't planning to do any wiring.

Christian.

If it really is a ring circuit then both ends must come back to the same 32 amp MCB in the CU.

Possibility 1 Are you sure the socket circuits are supposed to be ring mains? It's not mandatory you know and there are perfectly acceptable alternatives. Are the MCBs on the socket circuits 32 amp?

Possibility 2 Are you sure you can see all the wires coming out of the CU? There may be some going straight back into the wall it's mounted on. Have you taken the cover off the CU to see how many wires go into each MCB?

Possibility 3 It really has been mis-wired.