A pit in South Yorkshire which faced closure last year is being officially reopened on Monday.

Energy minister Brian Wilson will celebrate the resumption of production at the Hatfield colliery at Doncaster.

The colliery, which was set to be shutdown last year, was thrown a lifeline with the help of the government.

Whitehall agreed to pump �7m into a rescue package which helped secure 200 jobs.

Japanese pull out

Mr Wilson will be accompanied by Richard Budge, chairman of Coalpower, the pit's owners.

The mine was saved from liquidation in September, when plans to restart mining work in November were announced.

Hatfield Coal Company closed the colliery on 9 August on advice from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Coal Authority, despite having agreed terms for long-term supply to the Drax power station.

The company said it could not secure the finance to continue trading after a Japanese bank pulled out of the project.

During the crisis the DTI ploughed in �200,000 to keep the pit maintained until a buyer was found.