540 miners' jobs facing axe at Maltby pit

About 540 staff working at Maltby Colliery have been told of the decision by owner Hargreaves Services.

Alarm bells sounded in April when miners were forced to down tools after high levels of gas were detected during underground work on the vast new T125 panel which was seen as key to the colliery’s future.

The incident led to a delay in works of more than three months. One miner working on the project at the time said: “This is a catastrophe.”

Last month unusually high levels of water, oil and gas were found at the site and the owners warned about the possible closure of the site.

This followed Hargreaves Services’ preliminary results statement, issued on September 25, in which the intention to review and consider the future of Maltby Colliery was highlighted.

The company will now begin consultation regarding potential redundancies. The miners’ NUM union met on Monday and will be in talks with management.

A spokesman said: “Initiating this process is considered to be prudent business practice and does not indicate that a decision on the future of Maltby has been taken.

The relevant Government department is being notified.

“The Board of Hargreaves still expects to receive reports later in October that will advise on the geological, financial and health and safety risks associated with the T125 panel at the mine.

“The decision by the board on the future of the colliery will be based on the conclusions of these reports.”

In 1984, before the miners’ strike, Yorkshire had 56 collieries employing thousands of people.

Should Maltby close the region’s once prolific deep mining heritage would be boiled down to just two operations — Kellingley in North Yorkshire and the Dutch-owned Hatfield Colliery near Doncaster.