Many miners lost their jobs

The payments of up to �10,000 are to compensate for the years of service they lost after being unjustly dismissed by the coal board.

In 1984 and 1985, 1,060 striking miners were sacked - some for acts of violence, but many for trivial offences.

Two lost their jobs in Scotland for stepping across a white line painted on the road outside their colliery.

Many miners were reinstated but a minority were not and those not sacked for violent offences became eligible for pension compensation.

There are 86 happy families in the Lothians who are justly entitled to this money George Crawford former miner

Those who did not return to the pits or get new jobs lost all their rights to a pension.

One of the organisers of the miners' strike in Scotland, David Hamilton, who is now the MP for Midlothian, said the men who had been dismissed can feel vindicated.

He told BBC News that 99% had been sacked for just standing on picket lines - many had subsequently won tribunals but were still not re-employed by the coal board.

David Hamilton: "People were victimised"

Mr Hamilton said: "It's not about payments. It's about the vindication of 19 years where people have been singled out, unfairly dismissed and in the true sense of the word victimised.

"The payments will vary to each miner, depending on the length of service they had within the industry.

"The agreement we've reached means that somebody who was in the pits for 40 years will get a greater amount of money than somebody who was in the pits for five years."

Former miner George Crawford said: "There are 86 happy families in the Lothians who are justly entitled to this money.

"They should have been paid years ago, however, it's setlled up now and I hope they get an additional bonus for the extra time they've had to wait for it."

The cash will go to a widow if a miner has died.

But scores of those eligible for the funds have yet to be traced.