A BID to house a permanent miners' memorial on a redeveloped former colliery and cokeworks site has won widespread support.

The Lambton and Houghton Banner group has called for some form of tribute to the many miners killed or injured working at the long-closed Lambton D Pit and Lambton Cokeworks.

Following the group's success in raising £20,000 to restore the miners lodge banners for both the D Pit and nearby Houghton Colliery last year, they turned their attention to the memorial project.

The restored pit site, spanning the Durham/Sunderland county boundary, at Burnmoor, near Chester-le-Street, is to be re-developed, with plans for 350 homes and a stretch of a major road linking Houghton-le-Spring and Washington.

But before work begins, the campaign group hopes to finalise plans for the memorial to be situated in a suitable spot on the development plot.

The group staged a meeting attended by various interested parties at the weekend, at Burnmoor Cricket Club.

Representatives of development partners, English Partnerships, the Coalfield Regeneration Trust, Sunderland City Council, landscape agents and residents from neighbouring communities all gave their backing for the memorial.

Group secretary Pat Simmons said she was delighted it appeared to have universal support.

"I'm so glad we've been able to get permission. There's still a lot to be done, and it could be three years before it materialises, but at least everyone seems supportive."

Sculptor Colin Wilbourn, who attended the meeting, has agreed to produce some sketches of possible fitting memorials to be considered for the site.

Mrs Simmons said: "I think everyone is aware of some of Colin's work around the North-East and he did the sculpture at the miners' memorial garden at the nearby Herrington Country Park, so we're all eager to see what he will come up with.

"There are a lot of miners' lamp and pit wheel memorials dotted around and I think we would like to go for something slightly different, maybe in the form of a carved working miner."

Mrs Simmons said letters of support had been received from local MP Fraser Kemp, former Labour cabinet minister Tony Benn, and various figures in the National Union of Mineworkers.

Details of the next meeting, also to be staged at the cricket club, will be announced soon.