Clear minded thinking

A South African-based UK inventor has developed a remote controlled device that is claimed to clear land mines for a fraction of the current cost.

The MineBurner, created by former pilot Paul Richards, does not contain any explosive components, allowing it to be airlifted to regions where it is needed for humanitarian operations.

It can neutralise mines for around 10p compared to between £150–£500 per mine if they are manually cleared by an expert, claimed Richards. The device is due to enter commercial production this month.

There are an estimated 110 million active mines in over 80 countries according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, and 2,000 people are involved in land mine accidents every month.

Heightened terrorist alerts have made transporting explosives used to clear mines difficult, so countries have resorted to recovering materials from other munitions, which is dangerous.