ONE of the region's smallest museums re-opened yesterday for the summer season.

The Tom Leonard Mining Museum, at Skinningrove, east Cleveland, pays tribute to the area's mining heritage and, although it has been closed over the winter, there has been plenty happening behind the scenes.

A new team of volunteers has been trained to guide visitors through the museum and explain the area's famous ironstone mining heritage.

Financial support from the Government's rural recovery scheme paid for a major sspring clean of the museum, and staff and volunteers have been hard at work on a range of activities from conservation work on the collection of pictures and artefacts to improvements to the car parking area.

The museum is celebrating after it was awarded registered status by Re:source, a national body which sets standards for the operation of museums throughout the UK.

The museum is open today and Easter Sunday, and then every Monday until Saturday until October. It opens at 1pm and last admission is at 3.45pm. For details, call (01287) 642970.