THE Government has agreed to make pension payments to a number of former pitmen sacked during the bitter year-long miners' strike.

The move marked a breakthrough in the near 20-year fight for full pension payments for men who were sacked for strike-related offences.

Officials from the National Union of Mineworkers said some of its members could receive up to £20,000 to compensate them for years of service they lost after they were dismissed during the 1984/1985 strike.

However, campaigners pledged to carry on their battle for all the sacked miners who lost pension rights to be paid in full.

The Department of Trade and Industry said it had agreed to 137 claims, while a further 21 have been disallowed because of the nature of the strike-related offences involved and a handful remain outstanding.

NUM chairman Ian Lavery, who is based in Northumberland, said: "'It is a step in the right direction but we will continue campaigning for all the men, up to 1,200, to be compensated in full.

''Some are being told their application for pensions has been refused because of their alleged crime on the picket line.

"We will appeal on behalf of every single miner.''

Easington MP John Cummings said: "It is pleasing to note that that the Government is now moving towards addressing some of the awful problems that arose from the miners' strike."

A DTI spokesman said that payments would be on average about £10,000 as a "ballpark figure".

He said that some of those affected were in the North-East, but precise figures were not available.

Most of the sacked miners were re-employed but about 300 were not taken back on by the former British Coal.