Mayor Deirdre McGeown leads Pretoria Pit disaster tributes

Westhoughton town mayor Deirdre McGeown has led commemorations for the Pretoria Pit disaster alongside Diane Hawkins, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester

Westhoughton town mayor Deirdre McGeown has led commemorations for the Pretoria Pit disaster which killed 344 men and boys in 1910.

A short service was held on Thursday morning at Ditchfield Gardens, which was attended by around 35 people, before a maroon was fired at 7.50am to mark the time that the mine exploded.

Then, at 10am a church service was held at St Bartholomew’s Church before wreaths were laid at the memorial in the churchyard, which is also the grave of the unidentified dead. The Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Diane Hawkins, was in attendance.

Councillor McGeown said: “The Pretoria Pit memorial day is an important day in the Westhoughton calendar because so many local families were tragically affected by this disaster.

“Thank you to everyone who attended and took part in the service of remembrance. It was lovely to have the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester laying a wreath. Thank you to Westhoughton High School for their contribution in the service. The pupils read beautifully and Jane Torrence sang a beautiful song called 'The Pretoria Pit '.”

Wreaths laid at the Pretoria Pit memorial