Border Egremont News

Six fire engines are attending to a grass fire stretching around one kilometre in length and 200 metres wide on heathland near Cobble Hall, Cleator Moor.

• UK
• Egremont
• Cumbria

A packaging firm has been fined 200 thousand pounds for breaching health and safety laws, after an employee got both his hands caught in a 35 ton industrial press.

25-year-old Stephen Stamper from Egremont lost six fingers in the accident which happened at the Smurfit Kappa plant in Whitehaven in September 2010.

Watch the full report from John Bevir below.

• UK
• Egremont

A world-renowned celebrity sculptor is returning to his native patch of Egremont, with the hope of inspiring young people to achieve their dreams.

Paul Bainbridge is visiting the region as part of an innovative programme at Egremont's West Lakes Academy, which has revealed a number of great Cumbrians as part of its Ambassador Programme.

Mr Bainbridge has received commissions from celebrities including Sean Connery and Stephen Spielberg.

• UK
• Celebrity Sculptor
• Egremont

A mineshaft which collapsed in Egremont in November will be capped today, 7th January.

Nine homes were evacuated following the collapse which saw a drilling rig disappear into a 25 metre hole.

The householders were forced to live in temporary accommodation for five weeks as Copeland Borough Council, who own the land, made the area safe.

The residents were allowed to go back home just before Christmas.

Once the mine is capped the area will then be landscaped.

• UK
• Egremont
• Copeland Borough Council

One couple who lived on Howbank Road in Egremont have decided not to move back into their house, as they feel it's no longer safe.

They are currently in the process of moving their belongings from their former house to their new home in Maryport.

"We decided not to move back into the house as my girlfriend doesn't feel safe anymore.

"We lived there with three young children and decided it was best to move on and start afresh. "

• UK
• Egremont
• Mine shaft

More than 200 tonnes of grout have been used to fill the hole that appeared behind Howbank Road in Egremont on 14th November.

Contractors Forkers will be back at the site on Monday (7th January) to put in place a permanent cap.

The work should be finished by 18th January, before work begins to landscape the area and reinstate the fields and gardens damaged when the hole appeared.

Copeland Borough Council who own the land say the grout column should stabilise the hole and keep the homes near the hole safe.

Those living in the nine homes affected were allowed back home on 21st December although some have chosen not to return.

• UK
• Copeland Borough Council
• Egremont

It's been almost six weeks since an old mine shaft collapsed in Egremont, forcing nine families to move out of their homes.

The homes on Howbank Road had to be evacuated after a drilling rig being used to cap a mine with concrete, fell around 50 feet into the shaft on 14th November.

Some families managed to make it back home in time for the festive period, however some have decided not to return at all.

• UK
• Egremont
• Mine shaft

A plaque has been retrieved from a member of the public in the Egremont area which bears the inscription ‘In memory of the Dunblane school shootings’.

It’s unknown where the plaque has been taken from and police would like to return it to its rightful owner.

If anyone is aware of a building or public area from which a plaque is missing they are asked to contact West Cumbria Police.

• UK
• Dunblane
• Egremont