AFTER a year of intense research, an amateur historian is just one piece of information away from completing his quest to honour the 168 victims of the North-East's worst pit disaster.

Bob Drake has made a number of exciting discoveries to identify for the first time the 56 men and boys who were buried in unmarked mass burial trenches and graves, after the 1909 explosion at West Stanley Burns Pit, at Stanley, County Durham.

However, he is still unable to account for the resting place of one victim - Thomas Killingback.

The Northern Echo revealed last month that Mr Drake has, against the odds, managed to plug serious gaps in church and council burial records after a chance discovery of an interment sheet.

The names of the 56 victims will be revealed to the Stanley public for the first time in 94 years when they are given pride of place at a fundraising exhibition at the town's Lamplight Theatre, from Friday to Sunday, February 14 to 16.

Money raised during the event will be contributed to a Northern Echo campaign to erect a simple graveside tribute to those who died in the disaster but lie in unmarked graves.

Mr Drake, a former Stanley pitman, devoted all his spare time last year poring over council and church records, and scouring graveyards - even, in one instance, arranging for trees to be dug up so he could inspect gravestones.

Eventually, just two names, those of Thomas Killingback and William Brophy, remained unaccounted for.

But now William Brophy can be chalked off the missing list after Mr Drake was contacted by an old friend.

"I couldn't believe it when Dave Brophy called me about it. I've known him for years," said Mr Drake.

"It turned out William Brophy was buried in Swalwell cemetery, several miles away, on the outskirts of Gateshead.

"It would be marvellous if somebody out there knew where Thomas Killingback was laid to rest, too."

The Northern Echo's campaign for a simple tribute follows on from the fantastic work of many people in the town to have a new memorial erected to all of the fallen in 1995.

To help in the campaign, contact Chris Webber on (01642) 513346 or, if you would like to contribute directly, sent cheques made payable to The Northern Echo's Stanley Pit Disaster Memorial Appeal to The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF.

Read more about the Stanley Pit Memorial campaign here.