A PROJECT officer has been appointed to help increase access to North Yorkshire's geological heritage.

Dr David Gelsthorpe has joined the Scarborough Museums and Gallery team.

He will be working on the outstanding geological heritage of the area, including the collections held by Whitby Museum and Scarborough Museum.

The museums contain world-class geology collections, especially fossils.

Dr Gelsthorpe will lead a team of volunteers in ordering, storing and conserving the collection.

He will also be working with local geology groups to identify and survey geologically important sites. He will then prepare and implement plans, which will help people visit the most exciting of these sites.