Dennis Skinner MP's plea for the three deep mine pits

Dennis Skinner is a former miner

A veteran Labour MP and former miner has made a plea for the government to use "state aid" to save the remaining deep mine pits in the UK from closure.

Dennis Skinner, MP for Bolsover, made the appeal in the House of Commons.

The three collieries are Hatfield in South Yorkshire, Kellingley in North Yorkshire and Thoresby in Nottinghamshire.

All are to shut by 2016 unless a rescue deal is agreed. Energy Secretary Amber Rudd gave no commitment.

Mr Skinner said: "The last government took £700m out of the miners' pension fund.

"Let's give some of it back, apply for state aid, save the three pits in question and save a lot of jobs."

Hatfield Colliery was taken over by an employee benefit trust in September 2013

Ed Miliband, former Labour leader and MP for Doncaster North, also asked for urgent action to keep Hatfield Colliery, in his constituency, open until summer 2016.

Ms Rudd said the government had agreed to provide Hatfield Colliery Partnership with £20m support until its planned closure in August 2016.

About 430 people work at the employee-owned colliery.

Kellingley and Thoresby, which employ about 1,300 people in total, are scheduled to close in 2015.