A FORMER miner has produced a book of photographs of the early days of Stanley.

Ron Hindhaugh has trawled his collection of postcards for the illustrations for Memories of Stanley.

The book, published by County Durham Books, the publishing arm of Durham County Council's arts, libraries and museums department, features more than 40 pictures.

Many of the street scenes featured no longer exist as several buildings were demolished in the late 1960s and early 1970s to make way for the town's bypass.

Stanley's origins can be traced back to Roman times, when a causeway ran from a small cattle camp to Roman forts on Tyneside.

Mr Hindhaugh said: "Stanley, as we know it, did not exist prior to 1832. It was only a small village consisting of Stanley Hall and a few cottages. It was not until West Stanley Colliery - or the Burns Pit as it was better known - was sunk that Stanley began to grow."

The town's darkest hour was the death of 168 men and boys in the pit disaster of February 1909.

Copies of the book are available for £2.95 from libraries and local book shops.