TO commemorate its 50th anniversary, a homelessness charity is starting an appeal for people who may have been photographed in Bradford in the late 1960s to get in touch.

Shelter, which was founded in 1966 to help the homeless and people living in squalor, commissioned photographer Nick Hedges to travel the country taking pictures of people living in some of the nation's most deprived areas, which included slum areas of Bradford.

The charity is now asking people to get in touch and share their story if they think they were photographed by Mr Hedges when he visited Bradford in 1969.

People who were photographed will now be aged between 50 and 70, and if they spot their younger selves in the images, Shelter would like them to get in contact to share the story of their lives and also visit the areas they once called home.

Mr Hedges, who is now in his 70s, spent three years travelling all over the country visiting some of the poorest and most deprived areas, documenting the poor conditions some people were living in.

He said: "The poverty and terrible conditions I witnessed shocked me to the core, and I never imagined that decades later they would still have such an impact.

"I hope that all these years later I am able to reconnect with some of those families I photographed and hear their stories.

"It would be wonderful to meet the children and for them to be able to tell me what happened to them and their families; I often wonder what happened to them and if they went on to lead happy and healthy lives."

When Shelter was set up in 1966, it coincided with the broadcast of 'Cathy Come Home' on the BBC, a television film which is credited along with the establishment of Shelter as helping to get the issue of homelessness into the public consciousness.

The film was shot in a gritty, documentary style, and was voted the second best British television programme ever made in a 2000 British Film Institute poll, and along with Shelter helped bring the issue of homelessness to a national audience.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

A spokesman for Shelter said: "The reason we commissioned Nick to take these photos was to support our campaign working around homelessness, as people were not aware of the shocking conditions people were living in, and it made the issue a talking point with people and politicians."

Shelter's chief executive Campbell Robb, said he would encourage anyone who recognises themselves, or family members and friends to contact the charity to share the story of their lives after the photos were taken.

He said: "We would love to hear the stories of the people behind these iconic pictures to help us mark 50 years of fighting bad housing and homelessness.

"These photographs are a sobering piece of history not only for Shelter but the nation as a whole, and it's important to preserve the stories behind them.

"They show us how far we have come, but also that we must do more for the families and individuals still desperate for a safe, secure and affordable home."

Have you spotted yourself or someone you know in one of the pictures?

If so contact us at the Telegraph & Argus or email stories@shelter.org.uk, call 020 7505 2032 or visit www.shelter.org.uk/shareyourstory.