Blue John naturally forms in caves in Castleton, Derbyshire (Derbyshire Police)
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of stealing a rare semi-precious mineral found only in the Peak District.
Around 60kg of Blue John was recovered after Derbyshire Police’s Rural Crime Team searched an address in the Greater Manchester area on Tuesday evening.
The search followed “a number of suspicious incidents” at Castleton in Derbyshire, where the mineral is found in a select few locations.
Blue John, a variety of fluorite, has a purple-blue and yellow colour and has historically been used in jewellery and ornaments.
The area where the mineral forms is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and quarrying of Blue John is prohibited, the force said.
The men have been released pending further investigation.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article