The highest dune here soars to 380 metres, and tinted red by its high iron content it glows almost crimson at dusk.

BBC: The ghostly shore of Namibia��s Skeleton Coast

Contaminated water has been abstracted and treated from the mine since 1992 following an drainage burst which caused visible pollution from mine water coloured orange by the high iron content.

BBC: An archive picture of Wheal Jane

One recent study of more than 450 Sun-like stars within about 325 light-years of Earth indicated most had high iron content in their photospheres, or on their surfaces - again, evidence the stars had gorged themselves on planetary material.

BBC: Star 'eats' a planet