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MORE than half the country's surviving 23 deep coal mines could be closed in the next couple of years, industry sources warned yesterday, after the company that owns most of the privatised coal industry announced it was abandoning attempts to save Britain's most modern mine.
The decision by RJB Mining to shut the Asfordby superpit was put down to "adverse geological conditions", but mining union officials said last night they believed it was the prelude to a further sharp contraction of the rump coal industry.
The Government now faces growing demands to take action to prevent what could prove to be the end of an industry that once employed a million workers - there are now 9,000 - and even in 1990 provided 80 per cent of the fuel for Britain's electricity supply.
Union officials were called in by RJB managers yesterday morning to be told that Asfordby, in Leicestershire - which swallowed up more than pounds 300 million of investment before privatisation,...