THE names of more than 150 pitmen who lost their lives in two County Durham mines are to be given lasting memorials.

Mainsforth Colliery and Dean and Chapter Colliery, in Ferryhill, have stood dormant since the 1960s, and the memory of dozens of miners who died working in them have all but been forgotten.

At their height, the collieries each employed 2,500 people, and Ferryhill's population grew from 2,000 to more than 11,000 by the 1930s.

Pitmen from as far as Wales moved to the town to work at the collieries, and many of their descendants still live in the area.

Members of Ferryhill Town Council have worked hard to mark the importance of the collieries in the community's history, and last year unveiled plaques on the sites of the former mines.

Now they have given the go-ahead for two memorials to be placed outside the collieries, listing the names of the men and boys who were killed in countless mining accidents.

So far, the council has managed to trace a total of 161 miners who were killed working in the pits, but are appealing to local residents to come forward with more names.

Jamie Corrigan, executive officer for the town council, said: "The collieries are a hugely important part of Ferryhill's history, because the town grew up around the pits.

"The council has worked hard to ensure they are not forgotten, and we feel a fitting tribute would be to place memorials on each site, listing those who were killed working in the mines.

"We've managed to unearth as many names as we can, but many of the collieries' records have been lost, and we want to make sure we don't miss any names off."

The public are being urged to check the names of the pitmen, which are on display at Ferryhill Town Hall until August 31.

The names of the miners will be listed on authentic mining carts, which will sit on railway sleepers, that have been donated by Railtrack.

Former miner and town councillor, Joe Chaplin, said: "It is important the mines are not forgotten, and that the men who died are given a lasting memorial."