Durham Miners Celebrate Thatcher's Death

9 April 2013, 08:10 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The general secretary of the Durham Miners' Association says the death of Baroness Thatcher was a "great day'' for coal miners.

Dave Hopper, an ex-miner, who turned 70 on Monday, spent all of his working life at Wearmouth Colliery.

He said:
"It looks like one of the best birthdays I have ever had.

There's no sympathy from me for what she did to our community. She destroyed our community, our villages and our people.

For the union this could not come soon enough and I'm pleased that I have outlived her.

It's a great day for all the miners, I imagine we will have a counter demonstration when they have her funeral.

Our children have got no jobs and the community is full of problems. There's no work and no money and it's very sad the legacy she has left behind.

She absolutely hated working people and I have got very bitter memories of what she did. She turned all the nation against us and the violence that was meted out on us was terrible.

I would say to those people who want to mourn her that they're lucky she did not treat them like she treated us.''