WORK to combat fires caused by a methane gas ignition at a North Yorkshire mine is continuing.

Hundreds of miners at Kellingley Colliery, including many former Selby coalfield miners, have been redeployed above ground or sent home with pay while the underground fires are dealt with.

A spokesman for UK Coal, which runs the site, said: “The process of pumping nitrogen into the old workings to suffocate the heat source began late on Thursday night and is continuing.

The situation is being constantly monitored and the information we have about it since the pumping began indicates that we are making cautious progress.

“We have teams on standby ready to re-enter the mine to carry out inspections and further remedial work as appropriate. Normal mining activities will remain suspended while that process continues. We are engaging or redeploying those men for whom we have useful work to engage in.”