Two men arrested on suspicion of theft of rare Peak District mineral

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.