THE 19 men who lost their lives in one of the darkest days in East Lancashire’s history were remembered.

The weekend marked the 53rd anniversary of the Hapton Valley Colliery Disaster and a special memorial service was held for the miners killed following an underground explosion at the pit.

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The open air service was held by the memorial stone in Rossendale Road Cemetery, Burnley.

After the ceremony the nearby Rosegrove Unity Club saw families, relatives and former miners get together to reminisce and remember.

There were around 170 men working underground at the time of the explosion at the pit in March 1962.

Sixteen men lost their lives at the time of the explosion with three more succumbing to injuries.