Exciting times lie ahead for the last tin-mine that operated in Britain. Prospectors have found large quantities of a rare element called indium at South Crofty mine near Redruth which is crucial in the manufacture of touch-screen technology such as Apple's 'i-pad'. If initial tests are anything to go by, the owners of the mine are hoping that millions of pounds of indium will be dug out, alongside zinc, copper and gold.
It is hoped that, buoyed by rising commodity prices (indium is currrently trading at about £500 per kilo), South Crofty will reopen and employ up to 400 people by 2013. Kevin Williams, the managing director of Western Union Mines, which owns South crofty, said: "It is a very significant discovery because there is no other UK producer of indium. In fact, very few countries in the world do produce it in any big way."
Having written about the subject in the West Briton last week, George was pleased to see the story featured in the Daily Telegraph on Friday. To read the article, click here. The Sun also ran the story with the headline 'There's indium in them thar hills'. George was interviewed on Simon Mayo's BBC Radio 2 programme on Friday afternoon, hailing the incredibly exciting prospect of a state of the art mine in Redruth, and expressing his hopes for an "indium-rush". To listen to the whole interview on iplayer, click here.