Teenagers dice with death at old pit site

Lancashire Mining Museum published pictures of a group of up to four youngsters scaling the dangerous heights of the old headgear at Astley Green Colliery.

A spokesman said: “Important - please share urgently all around the local area to try and find these stupid kids before they kill themselves. These three children were seen and photographed climbing on the headgear at the colliery.

“If you recognise any of these people can you please let us know. Not only were they trespassing on a locked and fenced site they were also putting their lives at serious risk. The headgear is totally unsafe and in many areas the handrails are missing and the steel is also so thin in places that areas, which look OK, are totally insecure.

“If these are your children or you know who they are, it needs impressing on them that tonight they were lucky. Next time it could lead to a fatal accident.

Museum custodians say the young trespassers had got over the spiked railings on the headgear legs, which are used to deter people from climbing it.

They also warned they would have no hesitation in prosecuting any people caught on the site in future.

The intruder pictures attracted comments on Facebook.

Christine Warwick wrote: “This is trespass and the children’s parents should emphasise this and also just how dangerous it can be. Unfortunately this is just the start of the school holidays.

Robert Hodgkinson said: “Total idiots who think they are bulletproof.”