A FORMER opencast mine in Westhoughton has been declared a "death trap" for children after filling with heavy rain.

Town and district councillor David Wilkinson pictured has condemned the owner of the mine for not providing proper security.

But Rackwood Colliery Co Ltd says it is doing all it can to keep kids out and has begun draining the pit.

Cllr David Wilkinson said the former Bag Lane site, off Lower Leigh Road, was poorly fenced and dangerous.

He said: "It's a death trap. The fences are down and there's no difficulty in getting through. If the water levels go up the security should go up - this will keep nobody out."

He said the water was at least six feet deep in parts.

In May last year, a 10-year-old girl fell into thick mud while playing near the pit. She was rescued by a man living nearby - but he got stuck as he performed the rescue.

But Tom Allchurch, projects manager at the company based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, said the company had already employed a firm to repair the fencing and another firm was pumping out the water.

He said the water was being filtered through two large pools to take away poisonous sediment before being let into Lee Brook.

He said: "It is very difficult to keep people off the site. In the hot summer of 1996, even parents were breaking down the fence and lying next to the water pools on towels.

"We are conscious, however, of the potential dangers and intend to keep it as safe as possible."

He said emptying the pit would take eight weeks and added a man was being employed during half-term to stop youngsters from getting on to the site.

Work at the opencast mine stopped last summer and most of the hole which was left was filled in.

The company has now applied for planning permission to fill the rest with debris from the Gib Field Tip slag heap nearby.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.