Daw Mill closure: 650 jobs to go

The Conservative MP for Nuneaton, Marcus Jones, has today asked the government for employment support following the loss of 650 jobs at the Daw Mill Colliery in Warwickshire.

UK Coal announced earlier this month that the colliery would have to close after a ferocious underground fire made operations unfeasible.

The workforce has been made redundant because of the blaze.

Miners at Daw Mill Colliery last night got the news they have been dreading, the pit is to close. It is one of the last deep coal mines in the country, but has been under threat of closure for some years.

A fire at the coal face, which began two weeks ago and is still burning has now put paid to any hopes it might survive, as Callum Watkinson reports.

Daw Mill Colliery has enough coal to keep it mining for another 25 years but the fire that is still burning 740m deep under ground has forced it to close.

Barry Gardiner MP who advises Labour leader Ed Milliband on energy, has 'hit-out' at the Energy Secretary today in parliament, criticising him for not being present following the closure of Daw Mill colliery.

The leader of the house Andrew Lansley defended Energy Secretary Ed Davey, saying he had been meeting with UK Coal to discuss matters.

Marcus Jones, the MP for Nuneaton has told ITV News Central that he has been meeting with all the relevant people to try and do the best for the situation at Daw Mill.

A spokesman for UK Coal, Andrew Macintosh, has told ITV News Central:

"As you can feel here, the place is empty. It's not how we wanted it to be at all. It's very sad and difficult news for our workforce and we're trying to get out and see as many of them as we can".

UK Coal Mine Holdings has announced that Daw Mill Colliery in Warwickshire will close.

The company blames the closure to 'the largest fire seen in a UK coal mine in over 30 years'.

The fire is still burning 740m below the surface and shows no signs of reducing.

Only a 'small, core team' will keep their jobs to secure the site over the next coming months. The rest of the 650-strong workforce will lose their jobs.

Daw Mill has been at risk of closure since March 2012 when it was also announced that a restructuring was needed to safeguard the entire business.

Daw Mill Colliery in Warwickshire will close, UK Coal has announced.

The majority of its 650-strong workforce are being made redundant.

Full report into the closure of the Daw Mill Colliery by Lee Comley

"Unfortunately for a number of years they have not done the development work at Daw Mill the way they have should and therefore it has left them in the position where they are carrying a large workforce that's very expensive to pay and ...

...they don't necessarily have to coal coming out of the ground to pay for that workforce, and therefore UK Coal are trying to show to their banks that they can do the right thing and they can pay their way as a company.

But it leaves Daw Mill in limbo at the moment and I think that it's important now that everyone works together whether it be the company the workforce the unions the local members of parliament and hopefully ministers to try and secure the future at Daw Mill."