THIEVES are risking their lives by targeting mines in the Dean. In the most recent incident, a generator, water pump, arc welder and other assorted tools and equipment were taken from a working mine near Speech House Road. Police are seeking information about a suspicious vehicle, possibly a 4x4, that drove onto the site. People who break into mines are at risk of rapid suffocation from blackdamp, a gas that reduces the amount of oxygen in the air. Dan Howells, deputy gaveller, said: "I know of at least four sites which have been subject to either vandalism or thefts in recent months. It's something we can't do a lot about."

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