Gambian authorities have declared Charles Northfield, a British mining engineer, wanted, after he skipped bail and fled Banjul last week, while awaiting the resumption of his trial for alleged illegal uranium mining.

A government statement issued late Tuesday said Charles Northfield, who was
working for the Australian firm, Carnegie Minerals, had escaped to Britain last week.
"Charles Northfield, from Plymouth, Devon, in the United Kingdom, is hereby declared wanted," it said.

Northfield was arrested in February 2008, and Carnegie Minerals' mining license cancelled by Gambian authorities, after the firm was reportedly found to have been secretly mining and exporting uranium, when it was only licensed to deal in zircon, silicon and ilmenite.