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The twilight of 'sea-coaling': Pictures capture

Coal mines in the North East may have closed many years ago, but coal is still making a living for a few hardy men.

Tony Reed is one such 'sea-coaler' - someone who makes their living by collecting and selling coal washed up on the beaches of Hartlepool in County Durham.

The 51-year-old has to plan his work around the moon, because every low tide the waves at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool bring ashore tons of coal washed up from seams in the bed of the North Sea.




Black gold: Tony Reed is a 'sea-coaler' who scrapes up coal deposited on the beach and then sells it



Tens of thousands of tonnes of coal are washed up every year

Twice a day at the low tide Mr Reed rakes the washed-up black coal deposits into small piles and them shovels them into his specially-adapted Land Rover pickup.

It is backbreaking physical labour. The sodden coal particles are heavy and must be scraped up using only a rake and shovel.

It is not known where the seams lie exactly, but the seabed is constantly eroded by the currents and every tide lifts its load and drags it to shore.



Lunar calendar: Sea-coalers have to plan their work around the moon, as the coal is deposited at every low tide





Sea-coalers use adapted Land Rovers to haul the coal from the beach



Stoic: The work is incredibly arduous and the men must move quickly to harvest the coal



Dispute: Some say the sea-coalers provide a valuable service, others claim they damage they are bad for the beach

A seasoned sea-coaler, Tony has been scouring the sands for 30 years on and off, and on an average day he can get up to a tonne, which sells for about £10.

He is one of a small group of men in Hartlepool who scrape a living from the back-breaking work, which sees them heading for the shore at any given hour.

On average, 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes a year will be collected from the beaches around Hartlepool, before being transported to power stations.



The water makes the coal particles heavy, and the only way to life the dust onto the Land Rover is by hand



The coal is washed up from seams on the ocean floor. The amount varies day to day




Value: The average price of a tonne is £10

But with much of the UK's coal-fired power stations facing imminent retirement under the EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive, making a living from sea-coaling may soon become a footnote in the history of the British coal industry.

The industry is not without its detractors. Many residents claim it is dangerous and causes damage to the beaches, but some claim the sea-coalers provide a vital public service by keeping the beaches clean.

In 2001 there were an estimated 20 sea-coalers operating in Hartlepool.

In the seventh century, the monks of the nearby village of Blackhall Rocks burned the coal for warmth



Long ago, the monks of a nearby village would descend on the beach for coal to heat their dwellings




Uncertainty: Coal-fired plants are under threat, throwing doubt onto the future of sea-coaling's future




Veteran: Mr Reed has been sea-coaling on and off since he was 21, more than 30 years




Fuel: The coal is transported to power stations





Hard: The coal is swept into a series of small piles and then hauled onto the pick-up Land Rovers





Scraping together: An average load on the Land Rovers is two tonnes

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