A memorial to the men killed in the Piper Alpha disaster is secure for the next 20 years, according to fundraisers.

The Pound for Piper Memorial Trust was established ahead of the 25th anniversary of the tragedy to restore the statue at Hazlehead, which had fallen into a state of disrepair.

The trust has since raised more than £350,000 to pay for the memorial’s upkeep, which will it says will last until the 48th anniversary of the disaster in 2036.

Carol Banks, one of three women behind the project, said: “We are so grateful to all the people on and offshore who have donated. It means so much to us.”

The money from Pound for Piper is used to supplement Aberdeen City Council’s budget and pay for extra maintenance work.

Industry body Oil and Gas UK has contributed more than £325,000 to the fund, largely through donations from oil companies.

Earlier this week the trust handed over a £63,500 cheque to pay for the maintenance of the statue and memorial rose garden for three years.

A total of 167 men died on July 6, 1988, when a missing safety valve caused a gas leak aboard Piper Alpha, which ignited and exploded through a steel firewall.

Dozens were killed leaping from the platform into the freezing North Sea in an attempt to escape the blaze, which burned through the night and destroyed the facility.

Just 61 men survived, largely due to the efforts of men like Sean Ennis and Gareth Parry-Davies.

The memorial at Hazlehead, which was unveiled in 1991, is engraved with the names of the victims and contains the ashes of men who were never identified.

Source: stv.tv