Contractor is believed to have been trapped by machinery at the museum in Wakefield

A worker has died while working on an underground roadway at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield.

The museum told the BBC the mine worker was working for external contractors on the tunnel when it is believed he became trapped by machinery.

An investigation is under way by the Health and Safety Executive’s Mines Inspectorate and West Yorkshire Police.

A statement from the former Caphouse Colliery at Overton said the museum was “very saddened” by the incident.

The museum was closed on Tuesday and will remain shut on Wednesday “as a mark of respect”.

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