Death knell for Kellingley and Thoresby pits

Hundreds of miners across the region have found out exactly when their pits will close and when they'll be out of a job. Thoresby in North Nottinghamshire will shut in just over a month's time while redundancy letters will drop through 200 letter boxes tomorrow signalling the end for Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire. By the end of the year neither pit will be in operation leaving just one deep coal mine, Hatfield in South Yorkshire, providing coal in the Calendar region. Martin Fisher reports.

UK Coal, the owners of Thoresby and Kellingley pits, have confirmed further details about the closure of the two mines.

They say that the reported date of Thoresby pit closing between 3-10th July is incorrect. Thoresby will cease production on 24th July - and it is on that date that the bulk of the staff, believed to be around 300 people will be made redundant.

If they finish this 'phase' of production early, they may not have to work until that date, but they will be on the books until 24th July.

A 'handful' will remain employed for another couple of months to ensure the safe closure of the mine.

In terms of Kellingley, 205 members of staff will be told about redundancy tomorrow (Saturday) and they will be made redundant before the end of July.

There are currently around 600 staff at Kellingley, so that will leave about 400 employed until it closes on 10th December.

More than 200 staff at Kellingley Colliery are being sent their redundancy letters today, and Thoresby Colliery will cease production at the beginning of July, it has been revealed.

Chris Kitchen, the General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said: "Under the UK Coal closure plan that the Government is helping us fund, Thoresby will cease production at the end of June beginning of July. Then the shafts will be filled in and another one bites the dust."

Reports back in March said the pit would close by the end of the year.

However, Mr Kitchen added that the initial date to end production which was July 10 is now July 3 because the workers are a week ahead of themselves.

Kellingley Colliery is about six months behind Thoresby.

Today UK Coal will send out letters to 205 miners putting them on notice of redundancy.

There are 500 miners at Kellingley. The remainder will leave when the pit closes in about six months.