Kellingley Miners To Join March Marking Colliery Closure

Kellingley Miners To Join March Marking Colliery Closure

Miners and their families will take part in a march and rally to mark the closure of the country's last deep coal pit.

The final shifts were worked yesterday at Kellingley colliery in Yorkshire, marking the end of an era for the once mighty coal industry in this country.

Tears were shed as the 450 miners left the pit, known locally as the Big K, which employed over 2,000 workers at its peak.

The march will start in nearby Knottingley at lunchtime, ending at a rally in the Kellingley Miners Welfare Club.

Miners streamed through the entrance to the mine after their final shift yesterday, carrying bags full of their belongings. They clocked off before leaving the colliery for the final time.

Many said they were heading straight to the pub to celebrate their last day.

Richard Dobrowolski, 59, wore a T-shirt with the slogan Big K RIP and had a tattoo of the colliery on his calf.

He said he felt "very sad" about the closure and worried for the future of those not old enough to retire.

Chris Kitchen, general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), told the Press Association it was a "sad day" for the country as well as the industry.

"I am sure people will argue not burning coal is better for the environment, but as far as I am concerned this is another vindictive act."

Owners UK Coal will oversee the rundown of the pit before the site is redeveloped.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, whose Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford constituency is close to the colliery, told the Press Association: "It's really grim for us. We've been fighting in this area for two years to keep Kellingley open.

"We're just going to be more dependent on imported coal. And the Government have pulled the plug on clean coal technology.

"It's a kick in the teeth for the last of the British miners. They've only got the statutory redundancy pay and they're the ones who have been loyal to the mining industry till the end.

"It's a worse deal than they would have got under Margaret Thatcher. That feels really unfair."

Keith Poulson, branch secretary for Kellingley NUM, said the miners were angry because they believed the closure was unnecessary.

He said: "I feel disappointed, I feel angry and, more importantly, I've seen my colleagues come off the last shift and you can see the anger and frustration that's in their faces. They feel bitterly let down and disappointed."

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