Two regional military history museums have partnered with Tees Valley International Film Festival to create a First World War documentary film.

The film, called 'The Baby Killers - The 1914 Bombardment of Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough', will cover the first attack of the war on British soil.

On December 16, 1914, German ships in the North Sea fired more than 1,000 shells at Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough.

The half-hour raid killed more than 100 civilians and sparked outrage among the British public.

The film's title was inspired by Winston Churchill branding the German navy 'Baby Killers' after the atrocity detailed in the film.

The Heugh Battery Museum in Hartlepool and Eden Camp Modern History Museum in Malton will provide historical insights for the documentary.

Historian Summer O’Brien, from Eden Camp, is set to narrate the documentary and detail the impact of the attack.

(Image: Forge Pictures)

Director of the documentary, Mick Child, said: "In our film we seek to explain what happened on that dark December morning 110 years ago.

"We learn about the story of Scarborough, Whitby and Hartlepool and why the people of Hartlepool might view this episode slightly differently to their Yorkshire neighbours".

Tees Valley International Film Festival director Michael Luke said: "Such is the importance of this event to our area, we decided to open the festival with a free of charge screening of the documentary.

"We’re humbled to have played a part in bringing this horrific yet fascinating story back into Tees Valley consciousness".

The festival, taking place from November 6 to 9, will open with the film’s premiere.

The debut will include a live interview and Q&A with Mick Child and Summer O’Brien.