Osteoarthritis of the knee has now been classified as an industrial disease which means that former miners suffering from the condition are eligible to claim an Industrial Injuries Disablement Pension.

The new rules only apply to miners who have worked for a minimum of 10 years underground before 1986.

Ex-miners wanting to make a claim do not need a solicitor, all they have to do is call Leeds Job Centre on 08457 585433 and ask for an Arthritis Of The Knees In Miners claim form.

Once the forms are returned to the Job Centre Plus and service records have been confirmed, arrangements will be made for claimants to attend a medical centre for examination.

The news comes as compensation for former miners taking legal action for lung disease they developed while working in the North East Somerset coalfield is now coming to an end, with four outstanding cases waiting to be settled.

The latest figures released at the end of June show that more than £4 million has been awarded to colliery veterans and their families in Wansdyke after British Coal was taken to court under two separate group litigations supported by the mining unions.