They have been told they are not eligible because they were officially classed as surface workers - despite spending large spells underground.

Durham North MP Kevan Jones is raising their plight to the House of Commons.

He wants urgent action to help surface workers and their families claim the compensation he says they deserve.

Ex-mineworkers and their families have claimed more than �700m in recent years, after a scheme agreed between solicitors and the government enabled thousands of cases to be processed.

But workers who were based on the surface, rather than underground, are not covered by the scheme.

Surface workers

The Department for Trade and Industry initially agreed that surface workers' illnesses were caused by coal dust but now say there is insufficient medical evidence.

Mr Jones secured a parliamentary debate on the problems faced by former surface-based workers in trying to claim compensation for mining-related illnesses such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

He said: "The Department for Trade and Industry needs to accept that surface workers were seriously affected by dust, just as underground workers were.

"I have met people who only ever worked on the surface, but are clearly suffering from COPD contracted as a result of that work. They deserve to be compensated.

"I'm proud of the Labour government for introducing the COPD compensation scheme, as it has helped many thousands of ex-miners and their families.

"But it is simply not fair that surface workers are not receiving the same help."