UK Coal said 160 jobs will be lost, although at least half will transfer to the remaining pits, Thoresby, Welbeck or Harworth. Positions are also available at the Daw Mill Colliery near Coventry.

Mining started at the pit in 1922 but the Coal Authority closed the mine in 1992. UK Coal reopened Clipstone in 1994 on a seven-year lease which became a nine year mining plan.

To keep Clipstone going has been estimated at £20 million which UK Coal said it could not justify given that reserves in the Blackshale seam contain 3.5% sulphur, about twice the level of that in the Yard seam currently being mined.

The seam section is only 1.3m and one of the thinnest being worked in an underground mine in the UK today. Daily output has averaged 2,000 tonnes.

The pit is attributed with pioneering the Dawson Miller stable hole machine in 1963 cutting out the need for men to fill coal by hand.

UK Coal is investigating plans to form a Clipstone team to undertake a variety of tasks at other collieries that would otherwise by contracted out.