BFI archives to be free to public

Items from the BFI archive will be made available free of charge

Britain's national film and television archive is to be opened up in order for it to be accessed by the public.

Visitors to the British Film Institute (BFI), which is in London, will be able to choose items from the collection and watch them free of charge.

Items range from footage of the Queen's coronation to early scenes from long-running soap Coronation Street.

The BFI archive is the largest collection of moving images in the world, with almost a million items.

Eventually these images will all be available in a digital format.

It is hoped that, in effect, people will be able to create their own private cinema.

Members of the public will be able to view a wide variety of films, such as the first screen test of some Hollywood legends - including Audrey Hepburn - to public information films.

Highlights among the hours of historical films are footage of the Queen's coronation and Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon.