Miners urged to share Battle of Orgreave stories as inquiry Redhills Durham Miners Hall

Miners from County Durham who witnessed the Battle of Orgreave have been urged to share their stories as part of a national inquiry.

The Orgreave Inquiry is holding a listening event at Redhills Durham Miners Hall on Thursday, November 12, as it investigates the events of June 18, 1984.

The Durham Miners’ Hall, also known as Redhills, the home of the Durham Miners Association, will host a listening event to hear experiences of the Battle of Orgreave. The confrontation between police and miners in 1984 was a major event during the miners' strike which started that year.

placeholder image — The Durham Miners’ Hall, also known as Redhills, the home of the Durham Miners Association, will host a listening event to hear experiences of the Battle of Orgreave. The confrontation between police and miners in 1984 was a major event during the miners' strike which started that year.

Thousands of miners and police were at the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire that day, with clashes leaving many injured.

A total of 95 miners were arrested, but proceedings against them later collapsed.

Baroness Mary Bousted, a member of the inquiry panel, said many miners from the North East travelled to Orgreave and urged them to share their experiences.

She said: “We know that considerable numbers of them were there at Orgreave and we want to hear their stories.

“We do hope that it will provide an opportunity for people who maybe haven’t had such an opportunity before to tell their story.

“Lots of people there haven’t told their story to their families really. They couldn’t talk about it even to their families.”

Blackhalls and Hesleden councillor Rob Crute, who was on strike at Easington Colliery at the time, said: “I have asked governments of all colours to open an inquiry into what happened at Orgreave.

“There were 95 people arrested and the trauma they went through was immense.

“What actually happened on that day in Orgreave needs to be uncovered and justice needs to be served.”

Last year it was revealed Northumbria Police had destroyed documents linked to the confrontation.

The inquiry stressed nobody attending would be required to speak and experiences can be shared in a group or privately.

Durham County Council deputy leader Darren Grimes said: “Orgreave wasn’t just a fight in a field in South Yorkshire.

“It was the day the state decided the men who powered this country were the enemy, and then tried to fit them up for it.

“If you were there, or your dad was, or your grandad was, go and tell them.

“Don’t assume someone else has said it. Your memory is evidence, and it won’t be around forever. Forty-two years is long enough to wait for the truth.”

To register for the event, fill the form on the following website: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Redhills/