UK’s last deep coal mine to close

Kellingley began production in 1965.

The final shift at Kellingley Colliery is expected to end after noon.

It said the United Kingdom owed “a debt of huge gratitude to those who have done so much to help power this country over many decades”.

However, trust chairman Peter McNestry said many communities were still coming to terms with the industry’s terminal decline.

“Community spirit came from working in the pit”.

The closure of Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire marks the end of an era and writes the final chapter of deep coal mining history.

Mr Kemp said he could hear the miners singing Tom Jones’s Delilah on their last journey to the coal face and believed they would still be singing when they emerged this afternoon. They’ve only got the statutory redundancy pay and they’re the ones who have been loyal to the mining industry till the end.

“When the Prince of Wales and Selby pits closed under the Labour Government, we made sure that the miners got not just redundancy pay and pension support, but retraining, the coalfield regeneration taskforce and support for communities as well. I don’t blame UK Coal, or the government, it’s just the free market and rock-bottom commodity prices”. We’ve been fighting in this area for two years to keep Kellingley open. They failed on European Union state aid and to find alternative investors. Once, coal fueled the British Empire, employed armies of men and shook the power of go… We campaigned too for clean coal technology – carbon capture and storage at Drax – that could have not just supported Kellingley but security of supply here in Britain.

Around 450 jobs are expected to be lost in the closure.

He started at Woolley Colliery before moving to Kellingley 28 years ago.

“Its team need to be recognised for the effort they have put in during the past year, since the closure was announced”, he said.

“We’ve done the job for us and not for them”.

Revd Harrell has said an annual service to remember the 17 people who’ve died in the pit’s operations will continue at the National Coal Mining Museum in Barnsley.

Most people attending the rally, including dogs and children, wore yellow NUM stickers with the slogan “Coal not dole” and carried flags.

Mr Adams has also urged the Government to do more to help with retraining.

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“I see little distinction between coal miners from Kellingley colliery and steelworkers”.

Shaun McLoughlin, the mine manager, said: “I would like to thank my colleagues for all their hard work and determination at this difficult time. Part of the £20 million was to ensure that staff received proper compensation, and I hope the Minister will ensure that that happens”.