Archivists search for people in rare VE Day film

As the nation marked the end of World War Two in Europe, an off-duty police officer captured enduring scenes of joy on Tyneside.

Eighty years on, the BBC, together with the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive, are seeking to trace those people who were captured on film, as well as their friends and descendants.

John W McHugh, a member of the Gateshead Photographic Unit, used a 16mm cinecamera and rare Kodachrome colour film to capture the street parties as people celebrated across the region on 8 May 1945.

Such equipment was unaffordable to most people, so the images offer a rare glimpse of life on the Home Front.

The film also showcases "Thanksgiving Sunday" which occurred a few days after VE Day at a parade in Saltwell Park, Gateshead.

The footage captures the euphoria, and relief, among people who had lived through nearly six years of war.

Do you recognise any of the people in these films? Were you one of the children caught on camera at celebratory street parties? The BBC would like to hear from you, as we prepare to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe.

Watch the full video of the VE Day celebrations at the North East Film Archive here.

You can email us here.