A TRADE union accused of plundering compensation to sick former miners has assets worth more than £5.5m while neglecting its members, Parliament was told yesterday.

The Durham branch of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spent only £1,280 in 12 months on welfare activities and has only 30 full members, according to its accounts.

Yet it has assets of £5.55m, including £687,628 that was in an offshore account, North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones told a Westminster debate.

Its two salaried officials, president David Guy and general secretary David Hopper, together receive about £134,000 a year in pay and benefits, he revealed.

Mr Jones has repeatedly condemned Durham NUM for deducting a membership fee of 7.5 cent from payouts for compensation claims it has passed to solicitors.

Yesterday, he told ministers and MPs: "The question needs to be asked, what has happened to that money?

"What is a trade union doing with an offshore bank account which has over half a million pounds in it? If they were doing any welfare work, it would not be a problem, but they are not.

"For two individuals earning a hell of a lot of money, what are they doing as a union? By their own admission, very, very little."

Mr Hopper hit back last night, accusing Mr Jones of a vendetta, and challenged him to a public debate about the union's activities, saying: "We have nothing to hide."

He said Durham NUM had handled 20,000 compensation claims and had 10,000 associate members.

Mr Hopper said: "I have done nothing wrong. We are paid the rate for the job and we certainly pay out more than £1,200 in help to our members."

Asked about its tiny membership, he said: "You cannot be a full member unless you are employed in the mining industry, and it is almost impossible to do that because there are no jobs left."

Mr Hopper said funds had been banked abroad to get the best return, but said all reserves had now been returned to British accounts.

Mr Jones, who obtained the 2005 accounts, said it was impossible to examine more recent figures because of regulations.

According to the 2005 accounts, seen by The Northern Echo, Durham NUM had assets worth £5.55m.

The £1,200 paid out was for death benefits, with no expenditure for representation, advisory services or education and training .

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said Mr Jones had raised some important points, and said the union had the power to appoint a financial investigator.