A RARE 19th Century history of Upton is now available on CD, thanks to town councillor Jackie Surtees.

Ms Surtees, who also runs an information website about the town, has scanned pages from the 1884 book The Nation in the Parish by Emily Lawson, and transferred them to CD.

The illustrated book owned by Ms Surtees, which she tracked down on the internet, is one of only four known copies in the world and only two in the UK.

The book covers the history of the town from the Ice Age to the Romans, through to the Plantagenets and up to the mid-19th Century. There are dedicated chapters on Upton's ghost, Hanley's castle and the cholera epidemic.

A sample page and illustration from the book can be found on the website at www.upton.uk.net. Copies of the CD are available at £11.50, including VAT by calling 01684 592336.