Two South Yorkshire MPs are to meet Tony Blair to discuss the future of threatened coal mines in the region.

Michael Clapham, MP for Barnsley West, and Kevin Hughes, MP for Doncaster North, are supporters of the collieries in Maltby and Harworth.

The former miners are meeting the prime minister on Wednesday as part of the Miners' Parliamentary Group.

They intend to make sure Mr Blair is up-to-date on the issues affecting the industry and seek financial support for the mines under threat.

Strikes postponed

Maltby and Harworth, which employ over 900 people, recorded combined losses of �14m last year prompting fears they could face closure.

Managers held talks with unions in an attempt to secure the future of the threatened coal mines in November.

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

Stuart Oliver, a spokesman for mine owners UK Coal, told BBC News Online: "They (the workers) 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."