THE £12m Seaham Regeneration Scheme has won an award for the use of EU money.

The scheme was one of the flagship projects of the East Durham Task Force's Programme for Action to breathe new life into an area devastated by pit closures and unemployment.

It has been given an Objective 2 Award for Excellence in the Use of European Funding, by the Objective 2 Partnership, made up of various public and private bodies.

The scheme, which was funded by organisations including One NorthEast, Durham County Council and Easington District Council, reclaimed and redeveloped the former colliery and other contaminated sites.

Its aim was also to improve access into the town, encourage new industry, create jobs and improve the environment.

Durham County Council's Head of Regeneration, Bob Ward, said: "County Durham has attracted more than £200m of assistance from the European Structural Funds.

"This has been vital to the transformation of the county following the decline of its heavy industries."

Malcolm Craggs, programme manager at the Government Office North-East, said: "The European Programme is a vital source of funding for the region and is being used to transform key areas such as Seaham."

He added that it was part of a wider regeneration strategy for Seaham that had helped create jobs by providing units for small firms.