THE victims of the Wood Pit mining disaster were remembered at a ceremony 140 years to the day of the explosion.

The blast took the lives of 204 men and boys in the Haydock mine on June 7, 1878.

One of the biggest tragedies to have taken place on the Lancashire Coalfield, the large explosion took place shortly before 11am.

It is believed that flammable gases referred to as firedamp by miners, which build up as a natural by-product of coal, were released from a pocket in the coal seam.

The service was held on Thursday (June 7) at St James the Great Church on Church Road next to the memorial for the victims before continuing at Haydock Library.

Among the attendees were council leader Cllr Derek Long, deputy leader Cllr Andy Bowden and St Helens North MP Conor McGinn.

At the ceremony, MC Simon Cousins said: "The prime reason for the memorial is to show the appreciation of the borough of St Helens.

"It's an appreciation for all those who lost their lives while mining for coal."

Terry Houghton, from Haydock, who attended in memory of his relatives John and Benjamin Pilling who were killed in the blast, said: "It is great that people still remember them.

"There's no other industry that gave so much and were treated so badly."

There was also a minute's silence for the victims and new St James priest Fr Andrew Welsby read a prayer.

At the library, pupils from St Augustine's High School performed two musical pieces in commemoration.