An area of former mining land in the west of the island is now closed to the public.

The government has restricted all access to its land at Cross Vein near Foxdale, due to concerns over historic waste material from the former mine, known as Snuff the Wind.

Despite not being an active mine for nearly 140 years, contaminated spoil heaps surrounding the engine house still contain heavy metals including lead and zinc.

The decision to restrict access aims to limit the amount of contaminated material being disturbed, entering rivers, and ending up in Peel harbour, where dredging and disposal continues to be an environmental and costly problem.

A government spokesman said: ’Stopping vehicles from driving on the mine spoil will prevent unnecessary erosion, and over time allow nature to remediate the ground surface.

’This may be slow to develop, but the churning effect from tyres currently makes it almost impossible.’

If the ground is undisturbed, metals in the surface sediment will reduce as they leach deeper into the soil, allowing a fine crust of lichen and moss to take hold. That growth in turn creates a rich soil on which other plants can flourish and help bind it preventing contaminated sediment washing into rivers.

DoI political member Tim Baker MHK added: ’The decision is backed up by scientific analysis and makes sense from an environmental, health and marina perspective.

’This is just one of a multitude of actions we will need to take to make silt less problematic to dispose of and improve freshwater habitats. The health of those using the area must also be protected.

’Motorcycles churning up fine dust is dangerous to the riders’ health and has damaging ecological effects.’