Published by Sarah Yeoman at 4:57pm 7th February 2020.

Photo: Stock image

It is believed that a mine shaft may have opened up and caused 'high radiation levels' in Cornwall.

The Carbis Bay Crew, a group of cavers, mine explorers, divers and climbers in the Duchy, reported their findings on Facebook.

They say that a personal dosimeter went into alarm on Wednesday.

A reading in Helston was found to be four of five times the normal background radiation level.

The team say it is a 'mystery' but think that radon may have been released.

"This morning someone we knew said that their personal dosimeter (geiger counter) went into alarm and was reading 170microsievert per hour.

"One of our chaps in Helston is reading 4 or 5 times the normal background radiation so something has happened

"This reading is quite serious, if you know of anyone with a Geigercounter in Cornwall please tag them here and ask them to take a reading and post it with the location.

"It would seem like something significant has happened radiologically in Cornwall.

"Our initial thoughts are that a shaft has dropped in/opened up in South Terras and a hundred years of dissolved radon has been released.

"Think Lake Nyos disaster but with radon gas instead of co2."

Carbis Bay Crew

Mark Thomas, from the group, thinks that there was a collapse in the old South Terras uranium mine area, near St Austell.

But he says they might never know for sure.

Pirate FM has asked Cornwall Council for more information and is waiting to hear back.

via https://www.piratefm.co.uk/news/latest-news/3040162/mine-shaft-collapse-...