Two miner's daughters raised a glass of champagne to Baroness Thatcher amid their vast collection of Maggie memorabilia - to celebrate her life.

Marie Dimartino and sister Hazel Pybrus proved the former PM did have some North-East admirers as they toasted her memory from their homes in the ex-pit village of Willington, County Durham.

The pair have been snapping up Thatcher mementoes since she came to power in 1979 and count a guitar, Toby jugs and even loo roll among their collection.

Marie, 63, said: "Surprisingly, despite being a miner our dad took a liking to Margaret Thatcher.

"Whenever he watched Question Time he would always say, we should have a woman running the mines.

"He developed breathing problems as a result of his time in the pits and we thought it was a good thing when they closed.

"We started collecting the memorabilia as soon as Maggie came to power, as we were thrilled we had a lady prime minister.

"Mementos started being sold in the shops, and Hazel and I began collecting them.

"We've got all sorts, I have no idea how may items. We've got crockery, caricatures, pictures.

"I have collected the most over the years, but Hazel has helped too."

The sisters' father Robert Alderson spent 13 years working in the mines and left due to ill health.His wife, an Italian called Mary, owned an ice-cream van and Robert started working alongside her after he left the pits for good.

The pair both died two years ago, Mary at the age of 87, and Robert aged 86.

Hazel, 58, a former psychiatric nurse, mum of twins and grandmother, said: "None of us were that upset when the mines closed, as they caused a lot of ill health.

"Dad started working in the mines when he was very young after his father died.

"Most people do not like Margaret Thatcher, so we get mixed reactions when people come to the house and see all the memorabilia.

"But Marie and I were both very happy to get a lady prime minister. I was as young mum of just 24 when she came into power.

"The streets were dirty, rubbish wasn't being collected and bodies weren't getting buried, but Maggie changed all that.

"She did a lot of good for the country. We understand that not everybody loves Maggie as much as we do."