Thousands of job losses were on the cards on October 13, 1992, after the Government announced plans to close a third of Britain's deep coal mines, with the loss of 31,000 jobs. President of the Board of Trade Michael Heseltine said 31 out of 50 remaining deep mines faced closure.

By Mark Hughes HE IS the man who has devoted his life to trying to save Britain's coal mining industry. They are the eco-activists that are campaigning to stop the construction of Britain's first coal-fired power station in more than 30 years.

THE once-mighty coal industry used to employ almost a million miners at 1,000 pits, but just over a handful remain after decades of decline which have seen most working coalfields virtually wiped out.

ARTHUR Scargill was probably spied on by MI5 under James Callaghan's orders. The PM slammed the miners' leader's use of mass pickets in the 1977 Grunwick film plant dispute as "mob rule". (c) 2007 Daily Mirror. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

LABOUR Prime Minister James Callaghan called for Arthur Scargill to be "warned off" after he led a series of mass pickets in the infamous Grunwick dispute, according to the official papers made public today. Files suggest that the Yorkshire miners leader was monitored by MI5.