Tribute to dedication of 2,600 pitmen is marked

A mining memorial featuring the names of more than 2,600 pitmen will be dedicated at a ceremony in Staffordshire.

The service in Hednesford will be led by the Bishop of Manchester and attended by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire on April 28.

A book telling the story of the memorial is also being published.

The dedication will mark the completion of the second and final phase of the tribute erected in memory of the town's once thriving coal industry.

Phase one of the project saw a £20,000 monument, an 8ft tall Davy lamp in Market Street, unveiled in July 2006. It stood on a brick base with wing walls inscribed with the names of former colliery workers.

Since then the site has been extended, after a flood of inquiries from ex-pitmen and their families wanting names included. The total cost of the project has topped £50,000.