Tories have been accused of being insensitive to former miners and their families after booking their annual dinner at a former pit two days after a big strike anniversary.

The Dewsbury County Conservative Association will hold its annual dinner at the former Caphouse Colliery, now the National Coal Mining Museum , near Grange Moor .

The event, planned for March 10, is just two days after the anniversary of the return to work for the miners after a 12-month strike in 1984-85.

Local Tories were slammed by the left-wing website Nye Bevan News which reported that the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign would be urging the Tories to reconsider the booking.

Under the headline: “Dancing on the grave of the working class” the website said: “The choice of venue is extremely insensitive and, some would say, provocative.”

It said the Tory party of today would be “sitting and dining in a museum to an industry that the Tory party of the past systematically destroyed.”

The booking of the mining museum was confirmed on Facebook by association chairman Mark Eastwood who wrote: “We’re pleased to announce that we have booked the National Coal Mining Museum as the venue for the Association Annual Dinner on March 10th, with MP for Tatton and Deputy Chief Whip, Esther McVey, confirmed as guest speaker.

(Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

“The event will start with a drinks reception in the museum itself, followed by a three course set dinner in the Caphouse Suite.

“Full details of this event will be mailed to all members and supporters shortly. We hope you will join us for what should be a fantastic evening at a venue with a difference.”

It is not the first time the Dewsbury association has landed itself in controversy with its events.

In 2015 the association ran a pig race at a Mirfield pub just after revelations in a book about then Prime Minister David Cameron and an alleged university initiation ceremony involving a dead pig’s head.

Mr Eastwood told the Examiner the mining museum had been chosen because it was the best available local venue for the dinner.

He added: “We felt it would be positive for us to support a local museum. It’s a fantastic venue.”

Mr Eastwood also pointed out that Tory party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin was also a former miner.