Ian Hepton is the brother of Ruth Hepton and the friend of Clive Hinton and Rod Blake. Ian, Clive and Rod came to Beckindale in February 1978 to go mining with hopes of finding something valuable. Ian brought his sister Ruth with him, and Clive's father Donald Hinton was already in the village. Whilst mining, the pair accidentally hit a cable, causing an explosion and knocking Ian and Rod unconscious. Clive only sustained injuries and he and Ian were treated quickly but Rod was left in a coma. After the incident, the pair decided to quickly make tracks and try find another way to make money.
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