MEMBERS of a former coal mining community on Wearside are the latest to benefit from Government funding.

Secretary of State for the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Stephen Byers, added the Lambton Cokeworks, near Sunderland, to the £385m National Coalfields Programme.

The area joins 88 former coalfield sites in the programme, where 3,300 hectares of land have been reclaimed and 3,680 jobs created.

Closed in 1984, Lambton was used for a variety of heavy industries dating back to the 18th Century, including brickworks, tile and gas production.

It was acquired by Sunderland City Council in 1995, and English Partnerships committed £675,000 for feasibility and site investigation studies.

The site is in the bottom 20 per cent of Britain's deprived wards.

Speaking at the National Coalfields Conference, in the former coal mining community of Riccall, North Yorkshire, Mr Byers said: "The Government has committed £385m to reclaim and restore former coalfield sites.

"These communities are set for a brighter future, and I am pleased to announce that Lambton can also look forward to being part of that.

"It isn't only about the physical clean-up of pit sites. We need to bring these areas back to their former glory with financial investment in long-term projects, assisting the start up of new businesses and supporting local projects."