THE communities of Atherton and Westhoughton will be remembering the victims of the Pretoria Pit disaster tomorrow.

A total of 344 men and boys were killed in the disaster which took place in 1910.

The day of commemoration will start at the statue of the kneeling miner in Ditchfield Gardens, Westhoughton with a short ceremony starting at 7.40am.

This will be followed by the firing of maroons at 7.50am to mark the exact time of the explosion.

At 10am at the parish church of St Bartholomew's, opposite the memorial, there will be a remembrance service and laying of wreaths at the Pretoria Pit monument in the churchyard.

The services have been organised by Westhoughton Town Council.

At 2pm there will be a commemoration event at the memorial stone and garden on Broadway at the boundary between Atherton and Over Hulton organised by former MP Julie Hilling and Tony Hogan, who lost his great grandfather, John Austin, in the disaster.

Father Andrew Pastore will lead a short service which will be attended by the Mayor of Bolton.