PEOPLE are being urged to contribute memories and memorabilia for a community website charting a town’s shipbuilding history.

Called Hartlepool Built – Ships, Crews, Community, the website – at hartlepool built.co.uk – aims to create a record of the history of every ship built in the town over the past 170 years through the stories and photographs of the people involved.

The project is funded by English Heritage and led by the Nautical Archaeological Society North-East.

Gary Green, from the society, said: “We are particularly keen to record the human stories behind the ships and we’d like to hear from anyone who can contribute to them.”

Anyone with stories, photographs and mementos of Hartlepool’s ships can contact Mr Green, on 01429-523457 or by emailing gary.green@hartlepool.gov.uk.

They can also contact reference librarian Diane Marlborough on 01429-263778, email diane.marlborough@hartlepool.gov.uk

All items will be copied and returned.