Archives documenting Shipley's secret past have been discovered in the town hall cellars.

Nearly 2,000 files have been found by staff from the West Yorkshire Archive Service, some of which have remained untouched by human hands for more than 65 years.

The documents form part of a collection of files from the former Shipley Urban District Council for the years 1933-1974, and include information about projects such as slum clearance, town planning and new housing estates during the 1950s.

Ian Mason, principal district archivist, said: "These files are a real find - I doubt if anyone has looked at them in decades and they contain some fascinating information about the history of Shipley.

"It's quite unusual to find such a complete series of records of this type preserved more or less intact.

"The photos and documents show how much Shipley has developed, especially with the building of the market square and market hall in the 50s. A lot of this information will be invaluable to historians."

The files were discovered after staff at the Town Hall contacted archivists for help in clearing out a disused room to create more space in the building.

They include a series of documents covering the Second World War, detailing the Holidays at Home scheme - entertainment and recreation organised by Shipley Urban District Council, at a time when non-essential travel was discouraged. The programme for 1943 included a Concert Party, brass band performances, Punch and Judy shows and 6-a-side football tournaments, most of which took place on Northcliffe playing fields.

There is also information about the Dig for Victory campaign, to encourage people to grow their own food, the British Restaurant at Providence Church Sunday School, which provided meals to the public and acted as an emergency feeding centre, and war-time, fund raising campaigns such as spitfire week and salute the soldier.

Mr Mason added: "The files are of great interest and are now open to view by the public. Anyone wanting to come and have a look can make an appointment."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.