Miners who lost their jobs when Scotland's last deep mine closed are to receive compensation of �5,000 each from the UK Government.

The miners at Longannet, in Fife, lost their jobs in March and received no compensation because the company went into liquidation.

The �1m compensation announcement ties in with the phasing out of coal production at the Selby complex in Yorkshire with the loss of 2,100 miners jobs.

The government announced that it would part-fund UK Coal's compensation for the Selby miners and said Longannet's 330-strong workforce would also receive money.

Brian Wilson: Miners' commitment rewarded

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) welcomed the compensation but said it was still "a long way off" the packages offered by British Coal.

The Scottish colliery became flooded with millions of gallons of water earlier this year and it was decided that it would not be economically viable to reopen it.

The operators Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) went into liquidation with no redundancy packages for the workers.

Energy Minister Brian Wilson said miners who transferred to private companies without taking their redundancy would get the payment.

He said: "There are a lot of men at Longannet who have been double disadvantaged.

"They didn't get a redundancy package from British Coal because they transferred to private ownership and then of course Longannet flooded and that was the end of the story.

"So they lost out twice and what we are doing today is giving them some basic fairness."

'A way of life'

"What we have tried to do is address that unfairness and recognise the commitment these individuals gave to the industry."

Roger Lambie, a former miner at Longannet, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that any deal was good news.

He said: "There actually is a state-funded scheme but it is a pittance.

"My heartfelt sympathies go to my colleagues employed at the Selby coalfield.

The mine was no longer economically viable

"I am sure that they feel just as the former Scottish miners do, that coal mining was never just about earning a living - mining for us was like a way of life."

Having worked at Longannet for 22 years, Mr Lambie said it was difficult for former miners to secure employment elsewhere.

"There are people who have found jobs but unfortunately the majority in Scotland, I would say, are trying to change and adapt to change."

NUM Scotland president Nicky Wilson said the move was "a cushion" for those miners who have found work or are still in the process of securing new employment.

'Quite pleased'

"But it's still a long way off the redundancy offered by British Coal before the industry was privatised in 1994 when pay-outs of up to �27,000 were on offer."

Bryan Jackson, of Glasgow-based accountants PKF, which liquidated Longannet, said he was pleased compensation had been agreed.

He said: "The miners were really good to work with despite the sudden closure which was a total disaster for them, so personally I'm quite pleased for them."

However, Scottish National Party Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Bruce Crawford said the compensation was "measly".

He said: "On the face of it, this is a less than generous gesture from a Labour government to the Longannet miners - many of whom had given a lifetime's service to the coal industry.

"The total payout of �1m does seem a lot of money but once you start to divide that up between 400-500 men, for some, it will be equivalent to a couple of weeks' wages."