Welsh miners march to mark colliery closure

The miners of Tower Colliery, south Wales’s last deep coalmine, brought the story of their unique pit to an end today.

Thirteen years after using their redundancy money to buy the mine and keep it open, they marched from the distinctive pithead to mark its closure.

Tower, near Hirwaun, has ceased producing coal after more than 140 years.

Miners and their families carried flags and banners in a short procession to celebrate the colliery once dubbed too expensive to run.

Its chairman, Tyrone O’Sullivan, who led the workers in their buyout, said he was sad to say goodbye to the “mistress” he has known for 40 years.

“I’m filled with dual emotion. I am very proud to have done what we have done in the last 13 years – to take on society and make it work,” he said.

“If you work together you can achieve anything in life.

“I’m also very sad. It’s the last time a wheel like that will turn in Wales.”