The drift mine has been open since 1970

Heritage bosses have had a good response after it was revealed a County Durham pit museum which celebrates the area's mining past may be forced to close.

The Beamish Museum said its drift mine could close unless a former pit worker could be found to work there.

It needs to recruit a qualified pit deputy to meet health and safety regulations and talk about what life was like in the pit.

But because there are so few pits left, it was proving difficult to find and there were fears the drift mine would have to close.

After the situation was highlighted, the museum has now had 25 applicants for the job and there has been interest from as far away as Australia.

Safety checks

Beamish is an outdoor museum where visitors can visit traditional sweet shops, banks and a pub and staff dress in traditional clothes.

It also has a real drift mine. The original mine opened in the 1850s and was re-opened as a tourist attraction in 1970.

Following the retirement of miner Martin Gallagher in September, the museum had been unable to find a replacement and was facing, at best, streamlining the pit's opening hours or, at worst, having to close it completely

The museum is looking for a fully certified mines deputy who can carry out safety checks and is fully trained in emergency procedures as well as being able to talk about what life was like in the mines.