Father of Scottish miner told son's body will not be found

THE father of a Scottish miner, who was among 29 men killed in a New Zealand mine explosion, has been told rescuers will probably never be able to recover his son's remains.

Two Scots - Malcolm Campbell, 25, from St Andrews, and Pete Rodger, 40, from Perthshire - both died in the blasts, which ripped through Pike River pit, in Greymouth, in November.

Officials said yesterday that any recovery mission would be too risky following the build-up of dangerous gases and with the risk of further blasts.

Mr Campbell's father, Malcolm snr, said: "I always felt that this day was going to come.

"It's just an angry mine and it's just not going to give them up.

"There were quite a few of us (families] who always thought this was going to happen. We always had hope, but really it's the gas that was proving to be the problem.

"There was always talk about sealing the mine up, so really it's just been a case of time spent waiting."

Mr Campbell believes every effort had been made to retrieve the miners.

"They've done all they can, they tried their best," he said.

"I've been speaking to them regularly, I really feel they've done their best, I wouldn't want to think it come down to a question of cost."

He added: "It's a funny thing to say, but mother nature has prevailed I think."

Mr Campbell said a memorial service for his son would be held on 28 January, which would have been his 26th birthday.

The family hopes to visit the mine once it rendered safe.

His son had been due to marry his fiancee Amanda Shields, a New Zealander, just weeks after the disaster.

Mr Rodger had recently returned from being best man at friend's wedding in the Caribbean.

He moved to New Zealand two years ago and met girlfriend Dianne Morris.

Police commissioner Howard Broad, who has been in charge of the recovery operation, briefed the families about the latest developments at the mine.

He said rescue staff had battled non-stop to stabilise fumes and temperatures since the disaster in November, but admitted experts from New Zealand and Australia now agreed that the challenge was proving impossible.

Mr Broad said: "Frankly, my confidence in terms of a recovery operation to bring the men out is quite low.

"The assessment is that the likelihood of getting into the mine safely is unrealistic.

"On this advice, we do not hold out hope the men will be recovered.

"It is time to focus on the living and memorialise those men who have died."

Mr Broad also told them that the mine would now be handed back to receiver PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

He said: "Any discussion about a lost loved one is a traumatic event in its own right.

"There were some extremely probing questions of the decision-making process, but I think they were grateful for having been briefed on this.

"This, as an event in New Zealand's national life, is going to continue for some time and we will continue to support the families through that time."

The announcement followed almost two months of round-the-clock efforts to retrieve the bodies.

Robots have been sent underground to pump nitrogen into the mine with a modified jet engine and plugging cracks with expanding foam.

However, Mr Broad said: "I came here before Christmas and then I said that access to the mine to recover the remains of the men was desirable but not legally essential, given advice I had received from the coroner.

"I reiterated that we would do our level best to achieve recovery of the men, but not through the means of putting additional lives at risk in terms of anyone else re-entering the mine.

"We are disappointed that we are not in a different state than we are here today.

"I have thanked the families for the way in which they have dealt with this most heart-rending of tragedies and I am gratified by the response that has been received by the police from the families."

More than 3 million has been donated since the tragedy, which will now be distributed among relatives.