Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton joined a powerful and emotional tour of where the Pretoria Pit, the site of one of the worst mining disasters.

Almost 900 men and boys went to work at the Pretoria Pit on December 21,1910 - 344 never returned home.

In an instant, 344 men and boys (the youngest just 13) lost their lives as a result of an underground explosion.

The memory of those who died are kept alive, not only by a memorial stone, but also by mining historian Alan Davies, who regularly organises a Pretoria Ruins Lecture Tour.

During the latest walk and talk tour, at the Hulton Colliery were Mayor Mohammed Ayub and Mayoress, Bolton Council leader Nick Peel, Cllr Aktar Zaman, Cllr Martin Donaghy and Cllr Shaikh, plus Jayne Allman a leading voice in the Save Rock Hall project.

John Bullen, member of the Over Hulton Community Group, said: "Mr Davies as always gave a spellbinding account of the underground explosion which took the lives of 344 local men and boys. The next event will be held on a Saturday morning in August, date yet to be set."

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