OLD and fragile newspapers dating from 1847 are to be made more accessible thanks to a national project.

Editions of The Northern Echo's sister paper, The Darlington and Stockton Times, dating from 1847 to 1950, and the former evening paper The Northern Despatch, dating from 1914 to 1950, have been put on to microfilm.

The project, called Newsplan 2000, has seen a £5m Heritage Lottery Grant save more than 1,700 of the UK's oldest and most fragile newspaper titles, by copying them to microfilm.

As part of this project, the Centre for Local Studies in Darlington's Crown Street library, has taken delivery of 270 microfilms of The Darlington and Stockton Times and The Northern Despatch.

Until now these newspapers were only available to users in large and very fragile bound volumes and many editions were not available at all locally.

From the early 1830s onwards, newspapers become fragile because elements in the paper on which they are printed react with the atmosphere, causing acidification.

This process is accelerated when combined with heavy usage and left in this condition, newspapers will disintegrate and perish.

To arrest the decline, the Newsplan 2000 Project preserves local newspapers on archival-quality microfilm, the internationally accepted preservation standard, which has a life of at least 500 years.

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: "The availability of the micro-films will help people researching local and family history and allow users to look back at major national and international events."

Anyone can use the microfilms and other newspapers, but it is advisable to book a reader machine in advance. Bookings can be made by calling the Centre for Local Studies on (01325) 349630.