STORIES of the early Victorian railway policemen, heroic lifeboatmen and stoic midwives battling against high infant death rates are being celebrated as part of a new museum project.

Safe and Sound is a two-year collaboration between four museums in Darlington and Teesside to uncover the heroism and devotion of the area's emergency services over the last 200 years.

People are being urged to get involved by helping to uncover the stories in the museums' social history collections, and bring their own memories and items in.

The police, fire brigades, railways services, medical professionals and lifesaving organisations including the RNLI could be included in the project.

Equally important are the stories of ordinary people who responded courageously in an emergency situation.

The project is being co-ordinated by Anna Dodgson, cultural officer at Hartlepool Council.

She said: "Safe and Sound brings to life stories of emergency response that have been hidden within our social history collections for decades.

"Throughout the project we hope to highlight the bravery of the men and woman who have kept our communities safe and sound, and in so doing say thank you for their hard work and dedication.

"From the crews of the lifeboats, to the police on the railways, there are so many fascinating stories waiting to be heard, and so many artefacts in our museums that can bring them to life."

She said what would be uncovered would go on display to the public in January next year in a touring exhibition which could go on display at Head of Steam in Darlington, the Museum of Hartlepool and the Dorman and Captain Cook Museums in Middlesbrough.

Among the stories uncovered so far are:

*The bravery of the Hood family, who were in charge of the Seaton Carew lifeboat. Henry Hood was awarded the Albert Medal by Queen Victoria and the RNLI's silver medal for bravery in rescuing the crew of the Norwegian schooner the Atlas, which ran aground on the Longscar Rocks in a brutal storm in 1883. His medals are on display in the Museum of Hartlepool;

*The dedication of the early railway policemen who became integral to the safety of the burgeoning Victorian railways, keeping order, protecting the lines and avoiding collisions between trains. Related artefacts are at the Head of Steam Museum;

*The devotion of midwives such as Elsie Henwood, whose leather nurses bag containing her equipment is on display in the Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough. She became a midwife in 1921 and came to work in Middlesbrough at a time when working and living conditions were poor and there was a focus on reducing infant mortality rates.

For more information about the project visit Safe and Sound at https://safeandsoundteesvalley.wordpress.com or www.facebook.com/safeandsoundteesvalley.