Commemorative statue to Bristol miners who died in 1886 explosion

A statue honouring ten miners who died working in a pit 140 years ago has been unveiled. On 10 September 1886, a huge underground explosion at Dean Lane Pit in Bedminster, Bristol, killed the workers, including a 15-year-old, and injured many more. Gary Atterton from Bedminster Coalminers Heritage Group, said he hoped the 7ft (2.1m) tall metal minor, at Dame Emily Park in Bedminster, would remind people of a "forgotten part of Bristol's history". "We had four major coal mines in Bedminster and thousands of workers over the years, toiling below our feet," he added. Atterton said he was disappointed the statue was vandalised with graffiti days before its unveiling. Volunteers who had campaigned for the memorial painted over the tags left across the mid-section of the miner.

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