Rescued cavers face more questioning

Six Britons detained in Mexico after being rescued from a waterlogged cavern were tonight facing another round of questioning by the authorities there.

But the Ministry of Defence insisted the men, including military personnel, were on a training exercise and dismissed suggestions they may have been looking for radioactive materials.

The men could be held for another 48 hours as the Mexican authorities investigate possible visa breaches following their rescue from the caves near Cuetzalan on Friday.

A Foreign Office spokesman said representatives from the Attorney General’s office had been to see the men in their holding centre today.

Immigration officials interviewed them on Friday and believed there might have been a technical infringement on their visas.

“It has been passed to the Attorney General’s office, which has up to 48 hours from lunchtime today, our time, to decide whether there is a case to answer.”

The country’s president, Vicente Fox, has said his government demanded “clear information about what they were doing” only to receive answers which “frankly did not satisfy”.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “Any suggestions they were mining or exploring for uranium is incorrect,” a spokesman said.

He added: “As far as we are aware, the correct visas were obtained.”

The men, who had tourist visas, could be deported, prohibited from returning for several years, face fines of up to 3,000 pesos (£180) or spend 18 months in jail if they are found to have broken immigration rules.

Although they had visas for exploring the caves, they were also mapping them, a common practice for potholers. Mapping comes under “scientific” activity - and needs another form of visa.

The six, from the Combined Services Caving Association, were taking part in Exercise Cuetzalan Tiger, a mission designed to teach self reliance, endurance and leadership.

The military personnel were named as Sergeant John Roe of the RAF, Navy warrant officer Charles Milton, and from the Army, retired Army Major Jonathan Sims, Sergeant Chris Mitchell and Captain Toby Hamnett along with the single civilian caver, Simon Cornhill.

They had been stuck in the caves since last Wednesday and had initially planned to spend only 36 hours below ground.

Another seven men from the caving team are being held with them.

The group was quizzed for more than eight hours on Friday while academics from Mexico’s National University examined their equipment, backpacks and computers.

Assistant interior secretary Armando Salinas said: “They did not find any equipment or information on those computers other than that used for cave exploration.”

The MoD spokesman said: “Any equipment they may have had would be for measuring radon gas, which is given off by the rocks.”

All the cavers were rescued unharmed by British and Mexican divers from the caverns at Cuetzalan, 110 miles north west of Mexico City, after being trapped for six days.

Foreign Office officials and Britain’s military attache to Guatemala are providing assistance to the men.

Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell met the Mexican ambassador on Friday.

“The talks were friendly and constructive and we hope this can be resolved as quickly as possible,” the Foreign Office spokesman said.

British representatives in Mexico were also liaising with the Mexican authorities, he added.