A “GHOST town” seaside resort has faced near desertion as residents fled after the collapse of its once-thriving coal mining industry.
Horden Colliery in Country Durham was once renowned for its productivity and employed thousands of people.
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But after its closure in 1987 the town, which once housed 4,000 workers, entered a steady state of decline.
Now rows of houses in the area are boarded up – and some have been put up for auction for as little as £5,000.
Residents claim there is a rampant problem with drug use.
And hundreds have abandoned the town altogether, moving to more affluent areas of the country.
The town once held the European record for the most tons of coal removed in a single day from one mine, according to YouTuber David Burnip.
Some 6,757 tonnes were extracted on May 9, 1930, a record that held for 30 years.
He said: “Now most of the workers have moved away and entire streets are deserted and boarded up.”
There has been a dramatic drop in house prices.
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A house on Sixth Street was listed at £30,000 in April last year – less than half its £65,000 worth in 2008.
One ex-colliery worker said “a lot of young people are on drugs now”.
They added: “Not just the younger generation… some of the older ones as well.”
Another local said the “town has gone to the banks since the collieries finished”.
Four properties listed on Rightmove in late May this year had a starting auction price of £5,000.
It comes after seaside town residents complained selfish second home owners are snapping up houses.
And another “ghost town” turned into a “boom town” attracting people from miles away.
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