A SOCIAL history on celluloid is being amassed at a North-East university.

The regional film and television archive, spanning more than 80 years, will be housed at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough.

The project was launched yesterday by veteran TV broadcaster Luke Casey, who got behind the wheels of a mechanical digger to start work on the £800,000 development. When finished, the building will have temperature and humidity controls to protect the reels of film.

Much of the material earmarked for the building - news and current affairs programmes produced by Tyne Tees and the BBC from the late 1950s to the 1980s - is already stored at the university for safe keeping. Material is also kept in Newcastle.

The building will include a 20-seat screen room for use by academic researchers and members of the public interested in regional history.

Su Reid, director of the School of Arts and Media at the university, said: "This is a tremendously exciting project and we are delighted that Luke Casey, who appears on many of the archived news reports, has agreed to officially launch the start of work on the project.''