Sunken mine equipment protected

The mining equipment was found in 2005

Steps are being taken to protect to the remains of a cargo of 19th Century Cornish mining equipment discovered by local divers off the Isles of Scilly.

The find was made off Little Ganinick in 2005 and the Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell's decision follows a recommendation from English Heritage.

The landscape of the Cornish mining industry was granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status last year.

The cargo is described as a "rare find" of contemporary mining equipment.

'Proper protection'

The unidentified ship carrying the cargo is believed to have capsized and sunk nearby, but it has not yet been found.

The designation of the site under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 will protect the remains and an area around them.

"These rare and well-preserved remains represent one of the most significant periods in Cornwall's history, when expansion of the mining industry during the 19th Century resulted in massive migration and the spread of Cornish culture throughout the world," said Culture Minister David Lammy.

"I am delighted that we can extend the proper protection to this site."

The Isles of Scilly have been the site of many shipwrecks over the years - there are more than 500 registered wrecks around the archipelago.