A COAL miner has submitted a planning application to carry out further work at a North-East surface mine.

Banks Mining wants to continue operations at Brenkley Lane surface mine, in Newcastle, extracting more than 500,000 tonnes of coal from a 14-hectare site.

Bosses at the Durham-based firm say the work would not extend the site's use beyond the end of 2021.

The company employs about 200 North-East workers across Brenkley Lane, which has been open since 2010, and its sister surface mine in Shotton, Northumberland.

Earlier this year, Banks revealed plans to extend work at Shotton, known as Shotton South-West, by extracting up to 250,000 tonnes of coal that would be moved by road to the port of Blyth.

Mark Dowdall, Banks’ environment and community director, said: “The additional work at Brenkley Lane will help provide continuity of employment for a lot of local people.

“We have been a significant employer in South-East Northumberland for many years, and our ambition is to remain so for years to come.”