Managers have held talks with unions in an attempt to secure the future of two threatened coalmines.

The collieries, at Maltby in Yorkshire and Harworth in Nottinghamshire, employ more than 900 people.

However, the pits recorded losses of �14m between them last year, prompting fears they could face closure.

Stuart Oliver, a spokesman for mine owners UK Coal, told BBC News Online: "We have met with workers this week.

"They have submitted proposals to take the pit forward which will be evaluated.

"Everyone at Harworth and Maltby is doing their best to make the pits viable."

A series of one-day strikes planned at five pits by the Union of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM) has been delayed for 28 days to allow for more talks.

A debate on the future of the coal mining industry will take place in the House of Commons on 3 December.