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Cleveland Potash Ltd, the company that operates Boulby Mine, has denied allegations relating to the safety of its employees.

The company will be going to trial next year over three charges relating to health and safety.

All offences are alleged to have happened on or before April 17, 2015.

It is understood that the allegations relate to the Boulby Mine site in Loftus.

At a plea hearing held at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, John Cooper QC appearing on behalf of the firm, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The company faces three allegations in total.

They all relate to the health and safety of employees and "non-employees" working with "mining machines and shuttle cars underground".

One charge alleges that suitable risk assessments were not carried out.

Mr Cooper QC denied the charges, no other representatives from Cleveland Potash Ltd were at the hearing.

A trial was scheduled for June 22, 2020, with a pre-trial review taking place on June 5.

In April, bosses at the company said they were continuing with investment plans despite losses of nearly £150m being recorded in the latest accounts.

The company - which is part of the global ICL group - recorded an operating loss of £148.7m, though £99.3m of this was due to investments in China which have since been moved to other parts of the ICL operation.

The Boulby company also saw turnover fall from £96.2m to £71.4m during the year and staff numbers were reduced by almost a third - from 963 to 642 - as the mine moved from the production of potash to polyhalite production.

But with production of potash coming to an end last June, the company said it would continue to invest in the business and was confident it would return to profitability.