The lives of 87 miners who died at a Doncaster pit have been remembered at annual commemoration ceremony.

Former miners, members of the public and civic dignataries to remember to those who lost their lives at Markham Main Colliery during its history.

A flight of staff and cadets from 1053 (Armthorpe) Squadron RAF Air Cadets attended the Miners Memorial Remembrance Service, which was also attended by Doncaster Civic Mayor, Councillor Tim Needham.

Cadets Dylan Shaw and Riley Wenman read Bible passages, while the service also included speeches, wreath laying, hymns and prayers as well as music from a Bagpipe lament and throughout from the Armthorpe Elmfield Band and Markham Main Colliery Band.

The annual Miners' Memorial service took place in Armthorpe.

placeholder image — The annual Miners' Memorial service took place in Armthorpe.

A spokesperson for the squadron said: “We came together to remember and respect the 87 men who were killed in the course of their work at Markham Main Colliery.

"We remembered their families and friends and spoke of the strength of our community then, and now.

"It was, as always, a very moving occasion.”

The event took place in the memorial garden in Armthorpe which includes a mining sculpture, pit wheel memorial and an artwork created by sculptor Ian Randall from copies of tally discs – the tokens used by miners for head lamps for going underground, as well as a museum.

Opened in 1916, Markham Main Colliery was one of Doncaster’s biggest and most productive pits, employing nearly 3,000 workers during its heyday.

A focal point of the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike, it finally closed in 1996 despite a lengthy fight to keep it open.