THE Advertiser - with its sister paper The Northern Echo - this week launches a campaign to mark the graves of the 168 men and boys who died in the West Stanley pit disaster of 1909.

Back in 1995 a determined public campaign succeeded in the establishment of a splendid memorial in Stanley.

But the three mass graves of the 168 men and boys lost in the North-East's worst ever pit disaster are presently unmarked.

Today we appeal to our readers to join us in an appeal to erect a graveside memorial at the burial grounds in St Andrew's Church

For all the details, read Chris Webber's report on Page 3