Row erupts over deep-sea mining as world races to finalise vital regulations

Head of seabed authority accused of abandoning neutrality at critical point with first commercial application imminent

Michael Lodge, a British lawyer and the head of the UN-affiliated body responsible for governing mining in the high seas, has been criticised by diplomats who claim he has been pushing them to accelerate the start of deep-sea mining.

A German diplomat said Lodge - the secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) - has a duty of neutrality and has overstepped his role in resisting measures put forward by some council members that could slow down approval of the first mining proposals, according to the New York Times.