TWO people with more than 70 years experience in the coal industry between them have taken charge of a pitmen's housing association.

Bob Olaman, of Dalton-le-Dale, has been elected president of the Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association, and Gordon Parkin, from Easington, is new vice-president.

Mr Olaman, who had served as vice-president for 12 years, moves up Joe Whitworth relinquished the presidency.

He said: "It's a great privilege to be president of an organisation with such a proud heritage stretching back more than 100 years. I have held many positions during my career, but this is perhaps the greatest honour.

"Although we no longer exclusively look after the needs of former mineworkers and their families, we still feel responsible for providing the best possible quality of life for older members of the community."

Mr Olaman has been with the association for 40 years and was a trustee of Murton Colliery Welfare Association for 27 years.

Mr Parkin started worked at Easington Colliery.

He has been with the association for 22 years and served the Easington branch of the National Union of Mineworkers for ten. He also sat on the Department of Social Security appeals tribunal in Durham.

He said: "I am proud to have been a member of the association for so many years, and to be elected by my peers is a privilege.

"Serving the association provides a lot of satisfaction. It is especially pleasing to be able to provide much needed new homes for local people, and modernising those we have had for some time.''

The association, which has been in existence for more than 100 years, manages 1,500 properties throughout the former Durham coalfield.