Photographic evidence is being sought by an historian about one of the most unusual aviation incidents to happen in the Aire Valley.

Oliver Denton is researching the famous flight over Keighley and Skipton in 1936 of the German airship Hindenburg for an exhibition at Craven Museum, Skipton, next spring.

Mr Denton, 20, of Long Preston, runs his own company called Militerature, which focuses on literature of the Second World War.

"I'm particularly interested in the Hindenburg. Its visit to this area was very famous," he said.

"It flew over twice in 1936 -- once to drop a crucifix to be placed on a grave at Morton Banks Cemetery, at Keighley. The grave belonged to a brother of one of the people on the airship.

"It came back later and because of the way it flew, erratic and low over Skipton and Addingham Moorside, people believed it was on a spying mission."

He said there was documentary evidence of the airship flying in the Aire Valley, but he was keen to find photographic evidence.

Andrew Mackay, Craven Council's district museums officer, said an exhibition about the airship was planned for next spring, at Craven Museum, in High Street.

"Mr Denton has acquired documentary evidence from contemporary newspaper reports and a number of book sources, but the search is now on for photographic evidence, particularly showing the airship over Keighley and the Skipton area," he said.

* The crucifix was dropped from the Hindenburg by a German Catholic priest who was travelling to America on the airship.

He wanted it placed on the grave of his brother, who died as a First World War prisoner of war and was buried in Morton Banks Cemetery.

The whereabouts of the original crucifix remains a mystery.

Anyone who can help Mr Denton can contact him by e-mailing museum@cravenc.gov.uk.