Tonight from BBC North West: Salt - and the Cheshire Wyches
Brian Redhead visits a unique part of Britain - the Cheshire salt-field. Northwich, Middlewich and Nantwich are built on, and have occasionally fallen into, a salt lake - a dead sea 500 feet below ground and 200-million years old; they got their 'wych' suffix ('salt town') in medieval days. But the stuff we sprinkle on fish and chips is the chemical basis of some of our biggest industries, an ingredient of family tragedy and of fierce commercial competition.
Film reporter Frank Mellor also visits Britain's only deep salt mine, which produces the rock salt to thaw ice from our wintry roads.
Producer BOB MOZLEY
Series co-ordinator FRANK GILLARD