A MINING company has organised two further exhibitions to showcase its plans for a new opencast.

Hargreaves Surface Mining wants to extract 500,000 tonnes of high quality coal and 83,000 tonnes of fireclay from a 133-acre site known as Field House, between Low Pittington and West Rainton, east of Durham City.

Two public exhibitions have already been held.

New events have been announced as follows: St Cuthbert’s Parish Hall, South Street, East Rainton, on Wednesday, April 3, and Moorsley Village Centre, Moorsley Road, Moorsley, on Monday, April 8. Both events will run from 4pm to 7pm.

Representatives of the company will answer questions from visitors.

The firm is asking people to make comments by Monday, April 22, online at hsgplc.co.uk The mining is expected to last three years. No planning application has yet been submitted.

Residents are concerned about the noise, traffic and dirt they say would be generated by the work.