Around 500 people work at Ellington Colliery

Ellington Colliery in Northumberland employs about 500 people.

At one point, more than 1,000 gallons a minute was flooding into the pit's only workable seam of coal.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has blamed the situation on bad management by owners UK Coal and urged the company not to close the site.

Production at the colliery has been at a standstill since water found its way into the seam two weeks ago.

The immediate concern is to tray and save what we've got UK Coal

UK Coal says it is waiting on geological reports before deciding how to proceed.

Massive pumps are currently in operation underground - but the pit remains unworkable.

The president of the NUM in Northumberland Ian Lavery said: "My view is a simple one. There is enough coal at Ellington to last for another 50 years, if the money is available to put in for investment.

"That coal should not be abandoned because of one coalface being flooded."

A spokesman for UK Coal said: "This is a really tough battle and the situation is quite critical.

"We are awaiting a report which may help in determining where exactly this water is coming from.

"There are reserves of coal elsewhere, but it would take around an hour to get to those reserves, travelling underground.

"So we have to seriously look at that. But the immediate concern is to tray and save what we've got."

UK Coal has already indicated it would be uneconomic to look for new reserves at Ellington.

It is estimated that pit would close by 2007 at the latest due to existing reserves being worked out.