GWENT'S sick miners and their families have so far received more than £70 million in government compensation for chest diseases alone.

The South Wales Argus has campaigned for miners who suffered ill health as a result of working down the mines to be fairly compensated.

Yesterday a meeting of the Wales coal health monitoring board chaired by Islwyn MP Don Touhig heard that £72,774,263 had been paid to Gwent miners who had suffered from respiratory diseases.

Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain said that the compensation scheme was one of the government's proudest achievements.

But miners' union Nacod's general secretary Bleddyn Hancock says that at the current rate it will take another eight years to pay everyone affected.

Mr Hancock said: "The scheme for chest diseases was closed at the end of last month and the final number of claimants is being calculated.

"Thousands applied in the final days and what we need now is for the government to give us a date for when they will have paid everyone."