A MEMORIAL dedicated to those who died in one of the region's worst mining disasters has been unveiled.

An explosion at West Stanley Burns Pit in Stanley claimed the lives of 168 men and boys.

Pupils from East Stanley Primary School unveiled a plaque on the spot that marks the colliery shaft head.

Rosemary Robson, who came up with the idea for the memorial, joined about 50 other residents at the short ceremony.

"It was absolutely brilliant," she said. "The children gasped when their teachers told them what it was all about.

"It was an emotional moment."

The 30in sandstone block includes a carving of the pit's winding gear and an inscription.

Two other memorials already exist in the town, but residents felt there should be something on the precise site where the tragedy occured.

Mrs Robson said: "We are not trying to detract from the fact that there are other memorials, this is to complement them. Now people who come to pay their respects will know exactly where the shaft site is."

The accident happened when a build-up of gas in the mine ignited in a huge fireball. Flames shot into the air and the men and boys trapped in the pit were burned, choked and crushed to death.

The organisers of the memorial, Stanley Hall Community Partnership, had hoped to have the stone in place in time for the anniversary of the disaster, which happened on February 16, 1909. But heavy rainfall meant that the plant equipment needed for the operation could not access the land.

The stone was part-funded with a European Regional Development Fund grant of £1,200, through environmental group Groundwork West Durham.

Ward county councillor Les Vaux also donated £300 from his bursary.

Youngsters from East Stanley Primary School will gather at the site again in October, to plant hundreds of crocus bulbs.

The flower was chosen because it blooms in February, when the disaster occurred.