A BOOK revealing how a North-East council reclaimed swathes of land decimated by industry is published today.

Durham County Council mounted its land reclamation programme in 1954 and has since restored 22sq km - an area twice the size of Kielder Reservoir - to agriculture, woodland, open space, footpaths, cycle paths and modern industrial use.

The operation is still the biggest of its kind ever mounted by a county council and the 40-page book, The Greening of the County, reveals how it was done.

County Durham was one of the oldest coal mining areas in the UK, with records of coal being worked there in the 13th Century.

In the 1920s, when coal mining was at its peak, there were 150 pits and 47 cokeworks in the Durham Coalfield.

The heavy industry left its mark on Durham's land, with huge smoking heaps of pit waste dominating the skyline.

In 1951, there were still 70 collieries in County Durham, providing work for 74,000 people but, by December 1993, none remained.

When the pits closed, they were often left abandoned and derelict, incapable of beneficial use without treatment.

Since the land reclamation project was launched, more than 50m tonnes of colliery waste has been removed and more than 2m trees planted.

County council leader Ken Manton said: "For decades, the over-riding image of County Durham in the minds of people from other parts of the country was one of industrial dereliction and a decaying coalfield.

"Thanks to the efforts of the county council's reclamation team, this is no longer true.

"Our experience has shown that given the will, persistence, time and resources, it is possible to accomplish the seemingly impossible and achieve a major transformation of the land and environment, improving everyone's quality of life."

The book, priced £2.95, is available from county council libraries and local bookshops. It can also be ordered from the council on 0191-383 4116, or 0191-383 3454, with a £1 postage and packing charge.