MYSTERIOUS films of a long closed Blackrod school have been discovered by television bosses.

Films of Blackrod County Secondary School made in 1950/1 featuring a speech day, sports day, Harvest Festival, Christmas concert and pupils doing a spot of gardening, have been unearthed in the North West Film Archive by BBC researchers.

The silent films, shot with a cine-camera, offer a fascinating glimpse into life in a secondary modern 50 years ago. The school itself closed in the late 1960s and was replaced by Blackrod County Primary School.

It is not known who made the films.

BBC researcher Lucy Smickersgill said they were anxious to trace anyone connected with the films to take part in a forthcoming documentary series about secondary schools called Nation on Film.

Miss Smickersgill said: "It is unusual for someone to have had a cine camera at the time. We do not know who made the films, it could have been a teacher or a parent, it is a mystery.

"We would love to talk to any pupils who went to the school at the time to hear about their memories."

The fascinating films will be screened in a documentary series which will be shown on BBC2 next year.

Miss Smickersgill said: "The films show proper old fashioned school rooms and all the kids are in 1950s uniforms."

If you think you were in the films call Lucy on 0113 2247141 or email lucy.smickersgill @bbc.co.uk

"We are also using the films of Blackrod School in a section that will compare the resources in secondary modern schools to grammar school."

Blackrod County Secondary School closed because pupil numbers dropped to only 95 meaning it became unworkable as a secondary school.

Blackrod Primary School still operates from the same building in Manchester Road.

Primary Headteacher Ian Dryburgh said the BBC had contacted them and they were trying to put them in touch with people they knew had a lot of history connected with the school.

"We are still in the same building and we've still got the original plaque from when the secondary opened in 1938.

"They must have had a massive clear out when the secondary closed in 1968, as all our documentation is from 1968 onwards."