A SHIPPING company boss has charted the history of one of Teesside's oldest industries through the publication of a book.

Casper Shipping: Our Heritage Since 1872 is a colourful record of the life of a company that has been at the cornerstone of shipping on the Tees for more than 130 years.

The 32-page book has been a two-year labour of love for Kevin Shakesheff, managing director of Casper Shipping Limited, which for many years operated as Clarkson Brothers and Casper.

"When the Clarkson name was lost during a management buyout two years ago, I was determined that the history of what is one of Teesside's great institutions would be preserved," said 54-year-old Mr Shakesheff.

Working with graphic artist Keith Hodgson and copywriter Suzi Hunton, Mr Shakesheff has mingled old images and stories of working life in Teesport from the early 1900s onwards - many of the images supplied by PD Ports - with pictures of modern ships. The book also includes a map of the port in 1858 and fascinating extracts from Casper Shipping's cash ledger in 1906.

Mr Shakesheff has a limited number of copies of the book to give away. Anyone interested can contact the company secretary at Casper Shipping, on (01642) 243662.