Children 'in arsenic health risk'

Arsenic was mined in Cornwall

A group of Cornish mothers fear their children are being poisoned by arsenic dust from old mines kicked up by off-road vehicles.

They blame 4x4 drivers and motorcyclists who use Wheal Maid Valley near Redruth at weekends.

Cornwall College, which is surveying arsenic levels, says it has not found dangerous amounts of arsenic anywhere in the county where it was mined.

Off-roaders who use the valley deny they are to blame.

The children quite regularly have chest infections Denise Allard

Mother Denise Allard said: "You can wash our car and half an hour later it will be covered in an orange dust.

"We believe it's coming through the windows and affecting our health.

"The children quite regularly have chest infections when there is no reason and we are worried that there is going to be a build-up and they are going to get sicker and sicker."

Dr Leo Salter, corporate research director at Cornwall College, which is halfway through the Environment Agency-funded survey, said: "The dust is itself a health issue.

"It could contain arsenic, but our measurements from the area in two weeks in July showed that there is arsenic, but far below that which is damaging to health.

"If we saw the levels increase 100-fold the health risk would be very slight.

"The local issue with dust comes under the control of the local authority. But it is an expensive operation monitoring particulate matter and their resources are already stretched."

Alec Savery, who runs a firm which offers tuition in off-road driving, said: "We are accused of tearing up the land, but it is not the case. The majority never reach more than 5mph (8km/ph). We don't go around like motorbikes."