Mining museum frustrated as scavengers take wildflowers

The selfish visitors have been helping themselves to the flora growing near a section of railway track.

And a message on the heritage attraction's social media page said people have even been seen armed with a bucket and spade to collect flowers.

Although the mining museum itself is shut during lockdown residents looking to enjoy nature can still walk in the area, which is being encouraged to grow naturally without human input and is accessible from the canal.

The museum has now urged those responsible for taking or damaging the flowers to desist.

Chair of trustees Trevor Barton MBE said: “Over the past couple of years we have been giving the wild flowers a helping hand and now people are coming on and taking them, which is annoying.

“They are there for everyone to enjoy and for the bees and birds as well and their habitat. We’ve allowed the land to go fallow and it is being restored to nature.

“It would be nice if people could just leave the flowers alone.”

The museum said on social media that if people did not stop taking the flowers it would have to consider closing the access from Whitehead Lane and the back of The Boathouse.

In the post the museum said: “The volunteers have put a lot of time and effort into making the areas of the site nice for everyone to enjoy.

“Such a shame if all that hard work is spoiled by just some thoughtless people thinking only of themselves.

“I know it’s only a minority, but why should we have to put up with those people affecting all the hard work of our volunteers, then also being the cause of us having to deprive people of our wonderful woodland to wander through? Please - Think before you act!”

Lying just off the East Lancashire Road, Astley Green Colliery is Wigan borough’s last surviving pit head, all the others having been razed in the 1970s and ’80s.

It is run by a dedicated group of volunteers.