Mystery miner's tag prompts appeal for information

James Rogers says the three male generations before him, including his father Alan, worked in the pits

A public appeal has been launched to uncover the history behind a miner's tag discovered during the restoration of the Brinsley Heastocks site in Nottinghamshire.

It was found in the dirt by James Rogers while on a dog walk on 3 October as improvement works take place at the former coal mine, which is now a heritage site.

Little is known about who the tag belonged to but the chair of the Friends of Brinsley Headstocks group is hoping the public may be able to help.

Mr Rogers said he had tried to track down its original owner but was having no luck with the records at Brinsley Colliery.

Mr Rogers says there could have been alterations to the tag since it was first used

“I noticed they were doing work on the nature reserves, I saw the old footings and I kicked around [and] I came across this thing," Mr Rogers said.

“I just saw this hole in the top of it, I gave it a clean and there it was.”

Mr Rogers' father Alan, as well as his grandfather and his great-grandfather, all worked in the pits.

"I rang my dad, and he was saying he has his old tags, he had his grandad’s old tags, too – so it was nice," he said.

“It looks like it’s been struck or [it could have been] reissued to give to another miner – maybe no-one had that tag."

Tags were used in mines to keep track of people in the shaft in the event of an accident, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ken Hamilton, chair of the Friends of Brinsley Headstocks group, said he could conduct further investigations and urged anyone who could help to come forward.

The site is currently being revamped, which includes the full wooden replacement of the headstocks at a cost of up to £220,000.

This decision came after the old wooden structure – which dates back to the 1800s - was deemed unsafe after inspections.

A wildflower meadow and a memorial orchard to remember the 27 miners who died in the colliery are also in the works.