Hole in garden 'as old mine workings collapse'

The cordoned off area in Beacon includes a public right of way

A huge hole has opened up in the garden of a house in Cornwall.

The hole, in Pendarves Road, Beacon, near Camborne, is believed to have been caused by collapsed mine workings that are more than 200 years old.

The area, which includes a public right of way, has been cordoned off and an electricity cable and water pipe can be seen dangling in the ground.

Water and electrical engineers have examined the hole, which is 10m (33ft) deep by 5m (16ft) wide.

The mine workings are more than 200 years old

Residents said a small hole first appeared at the site on 17 February after a tree fell over in stormy weather.

The area is still seeing some collapses and engineers have been examining the site over the past week.

Dale Foster, a geologist from Wheal Jane Consultancy, said: "It looks like it may potentially be a stope - an area from where the ore was removed from the lode.

"Date-wise, I would suggest it would be from the late 1700s into the early 1800s."

Geologist Dale Foster said the hole may be part of workings to remove ore that was mined

Nearby resident Terry Caddy said it had caused "sleepless nights".

"You go to bed very tired and you wake up in the middle of the night and it's going round in your mind all the time," he said.

Cornwall Council said fencing had been put up by the owner of the property affected, with additional fencing by its contractor, Cormac.

It said regular inspections were being undertaken to "review the condition of the collapse", and the council and the owner of the property were liaising with utility providers who had "apparatus exposed".

It also said it was trying to contact the owner of the mineral rights "for them to arrange the necessary repairs".