A FORMER teacher's ten-year labour of love in researching his native County Durham has turned into what is thought to be the most comprehensive guide to family history in Britain.

Author and historian Tony Whitehead has compiled a website which, he says, allows amateur genealogists to research in one day what would previously have taken a year.

The 52-year-old is the brains behind www. durhamrecordsonline.com - a website which contains Census returns and parish registers for the county dating back to 1841.

Mr Whitehead has painstakingly placed copies of thousands of records online, which means armchair sleuths can trace their ancestors from the comfort of their own homes for about 96p per search.

He said: "For one person to attempt something of this size is ridiculous, but I have done it.

"It just got out of control. It has taken ten years so far and there are more records to add, but the end result is fascinating.

"As long as you have County Durham roots, it is possible, using this, to figure out your family history in a matter of hours."

Mr Whitehead, the author of several books on his native Seaham and one on the murderer Mary Ann Cotton, left the region more than 30 years ago.

After several years as a supply teacher in London, he embarked on the project initially to put Seaham's Census returns online.

Over the years, it broadened out to east Durham and now covers large parts of the county.

Within the next few weeks, the early Census records for Lanchester district - which included the then infant iron town of Consett - will be added to the ever-expanding database.

Mr Whitehead estimates that 80 per cent of his inquiries come from Durham people now living around the country and overseas.