A MURAL which has been described as a "piece of history" has taken pride of place at a hospital.

It was created by coal miner Michael Edmonds as a tribute to the work that medical staff at Llandough did in eliminating pneumoconiosis, a lung disease which affected many miners.

The nine metre long work was built onto the medical research unit, founded in 1945, with 4000 steel girdles donated by the National Coal Board.

And now the Cardiff and Vale University Health board has moved the tiled mural to the entrance at University Hospital Llandough.

Health Board Chair, Maria Battle, spoke passionately about the Mural at the unveiling and said: “Through years of dedication, imagination, testing of ideas, laughter, care and compassion and determination the way to eliminate pneumoconiosis was discovered at Llandough, preventing the level of dust in the air rising above what was safe to breathe.

"This led to the UK Coal Dust Standard, which when applied, protects miners across the world today. The team then went on to identify and lead the research in Asbestosis.

“It is an honour to welcome Michael’s daughter, Jane Edmonds, to unveil the Mural with Mike Jones, Head of Unison.”

Jane Edmonds thanked the Health Board and the University Hospital Llandough for preserving her father’s mural and moving it to its new location.

She said: "Dad would have been absolutely thrilled that so many people coming to the hospital will be able to enjoy his mural, both now and in generations to come.”

During the Second World War, Mr Edmonds worked in the mines as a Bevin Boy at Bedwas.

Through the mural he wanted to communicate the respect he felt for the miners and convey it to the wider world.

Referring to the tiled Mural, in his joint memoirs with Peter Wakelin, Michael said: “Across its nine metre span, depictions of work underground merge into scenes of the medical battle with pneumoconiosis in an expression of both courage and hope.”

Mr Wakelin added: “It is hard to imagine that any artist, certainly not one without personal experience of coal mining and intimate knowledge of its consequences, could have produced a more heartfelt and resonant interpretation of the subject.”

Mike Jones, head of Unison and previous Miner was very proud to see the mural unveiled and thanked the health board for their work.

He said: “As a miner, I’m privileged to see this unveiled today. We had automatic deductions out of our pay every week contribute to test research.

"I’m particularly proud of this as I come from four generations of miners and I’m the youngest generation.

“My career in the mines was cut short after just 14 years. I came to the health board, and as much as I enjoy my role, I would rather be underground with my comrades and with my friends.