SIRIUS Minerals, the company behind plans for a new potash mine near Whitby, has said the site could hold 70 per cent more potash than previously estimated.

A report prepared by independent consultants SRK Consulting confirmed the deposits as the world’s largest and highest-quality potash resource and gave an updated estimate that it contained 2.2 billion tonnes of polyhalite, which is used to make fertiliser.

The proposed York Potash mine is expected to create more than 1,000 direct jobs.