UNIFORMS from the First World War have been proudly worn for the first time in the UK by re-enactment enthusiasts.

Members of the Heugh Gun Battery Trust paraded the streets in the Women's Auxiliary Army Core uniforms from 1916.

There are only three in the UK, and two are now in the North-East.

Amanda Southcott, of the trust - a group of local historians who help maintain and preserve the Hartlepool battery - said: "We are trying to give a bright outlook on what life was like for both men and women at the time.

"We are extremely excited to finally have these uniforms and we will wear them with pride.

"It gives us the chance to show how women contributed to the efforts during the war."

Ms Southcott said the uniforms were different because of their design. It took the group more than a year to get them.

She said: "We feel really privileged."

The outfits will be worn in re-enactments across the region