THE future looks bright for workers at a Worcester factory after the firm clinched the biggest order for coal mining equipment in decades.

In a deal signed today, Joy Mining is providing £37m of equipment for the soon to be reopened Hatfield colliery, safeguarding hundreds of jobs.

Joy Mining will produce two sets of coal cutting and ancillary equipment from its factories in Worcester, Wigan and near Nottingham.

Hatfield, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, closed in 2004 but is undergoing a £100m investment programme to develop reserves. Powerfuel, the company behind the deal, says it will produce around two million tonnes of coal a year once it is fully operational.

Powerfuel chief executive Richard Budge said: "This is the biggest single order for mining equipment for many years. The equipment is manufactured in the UK by a company with the highest reputation on the world stage for quality and performance."

David Johnson, chairman of Joy Mining Machinery, added: "It is a very significant event not just for Powerfuel and Joy, but for the UK, and indeed European coal industry. We are confident in the success of this project and hope it can be a pointer for the future."

Joy Mining has produced mining equipment in Worcester since 1909, making it one of the city's oldest companies.

In 1999, there were fears the firm would close its factory in Bromyard Road, St John's, and move operations to Wigan, but after crisis talks with business leaders and Worcestershire County Council, it decided to keep the factory, which employs hundreds of people.