This is yet another example of police state 1984 Arthur Scargill, NUM leader

The motion for a ballot had been pushed forward by Jack Jones, the Leicestershire leader.

During a meeting of the NUM national executive headquarters in Sheffield, Mr Scargill's decision was challenged. He had to leave the room and his deputy Mick McGahey chaired a debate among the 24 union members present.

The ruling was upheld by 13 votes to eight with three abstentions.

About 2,500 miners, some of whom had arrived in the early hours, cheered Mr Scargill when he addressed them using a loud-hailer from the eighth-floor window of the building.

He shouted down to the strikers, who were surrounded by 1,500 police officers from seven forces, "This is yet another example of police state 1984."

The situation turned ugly when some miners attacked and hurled verbal abuse at moderate union leaders leaving the meeting and members of the media. There were 53 arrests and and 11 officers were injured.

Mr Scargill later told a news conference the NUM was determined to continue "the fight against Thatcher and MacGregor on pit closures".

He said a national ballot would conflict with last month's executive decision to allow each area the chance to call individual strikes.

Instead of a ballot, a special delegates conference will be held on Thursday. One of its tasks will be to decide whether or not to accept a change in NUM rules that a simple majority would be accepted in a strike ballot instead of the current requirement of 55%.

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