A NEW documentary series is to shine a spotlight on the blight of sinkholes in Ripon and residents are being sought to take part.

Sinkholes are not uncommon in Ripon and only last November seven houses were evacuated and a resident had a lucky escape when an enormous hole swallowed up land on Magdalen’s Road.

Now producers of a Channel 5 series ‘Sinkholes’ wants to involve residents in their new show and Ross Nicolson of Stokesley-based Geoinvestigate is offering the use of an innovative drill to find potential risk spots.

Mr Nicolson, a leading engineering geologist, has helped develop a probing machine to explore sinkhole risk and is offering residents the chance to find out whether their property is sitting on top of a potential catastrophe.

He said: “I understand the stoic attitude of residents who are born and bred in Ripon and if I was a homeowner on Magdalen’s Close I would rather not know - but if I had a family living there I would definitely like to know.

“We could find nothing but then it (the probe) has done its job.

“Or we might by chance find a big hole below the surface so then it has also done its job.

“I am not sure what the response will be because you can see both sides.”

Mr Nicolson has long called for the authorities in Ripon to take early action against the sinkhole risk in the town rather than wait for a tragedy to happen.

Ripon is particularly susceptible to sinkholes due to the highly dissolvable nature of permian gypsum deposits upon which many properties stand.

Ripon residents interested in getting involved in the show can contact Mr Nicolson on 015394-88904 or email ross.nicolson@geoinvestigate.co.uk