Death knell for Kellingley and Thoresby pits

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.