Man held for uranium mining claim

Charlie Northfield's has heard he is being looked after

A engineer from Devon is being held in jail in Africa after he was charged with illegally mining uranium, his company has said.

Charlie Northfield, from Plymouth, is being held in prison in the Gambia.

Its government has accused him and his employer, Carnegie Minerals, of illegally mining titanium, iron ore and uranium from a mineral sands licence.

The Foreign Office said it was aware of the 48-year-old father-of-three's case and was providing consular assistance.

He was arrested just because he was there Phil Northfield's

Mr Northfield was arrested on 12 February and, after Carnegie Minerals paid bail of £128,000, his family said he could be released from prison but was unlikely to be allowed to leave the country.

Mr Northfield's brother, Phil Northfield, said: "We are very concerned for his welfare.

"Charlie said he had a mattress and a blanket. He was very subdued and in shock.

"He was arrested just because he was there. They needed to arrest someone and he was in the country."

Mr Northfield said both his brother and the company had been charged.

Alan Hopkins, managing director at Carnegie Minerals, said it was doing all it could to get Mr Northfield out of prison.

Carnegie Minerals has been operating in the Gambia since 1999, digging mineral sands which are then sent to China for use in construction.

Work stopped in January after the Gambian government began a probe into the operation, but mining resumed this month.

Trace element

Mr Hopkins said: "We strongly refute all charges that the Gambian government has levied against us.

"We are now doing everything in our power to ensure the safe return of our employee."

He said that titanium and iron oxide were components of mineral sands and that uranium was a trace element.

He said it could not be economically extracted and therefore had no commercial value.

Phil Northfield said the family were in regular contact with the British High Commissioner Phil Sinkinson, who has assured them Mr Northfield has been properly fed and clothed.