THE 'hidden histories' of Cheshire's LGBT+ community are now free to explore online.

Cheshire Archives and Local Studies has put together a digital exhibition which gives an insight into some of the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Cheshire from the 1950s onwards.

It comes as the county's pride events in Chester and Crewe have been cancelled this year due to coronavirus, giving residents a different opportunity to explore Cheshire's LGBT+ heritage.

Cllr Paul Donovan, Cheshire West and Chester Council's cabinet member for democracy, workforce and localities, said: "I am delighted that we can highlight this great work from Cheshire Archives and Local Studies.

"It is so important that we raise awareness of and recognise the experiences of LGBT+ people in Cheshire over the years.

"It is clear that we have come a long way in LGBT+ equality, however we still have work to do.

"CWAC has always been a promoter of LGBT+ equality and we will continue to work with our partners going forward to promote LGBT+ inclusion across Cheshire."

Hidden Histories includes oral histories recorded and published onto Soundcloud.

It spans an era that dates back to before the legalisation of homosexuality in England, in 1967.

The research was done as part of the From Prejudice to Pride project, run by Body Positive Cheshire, Silver Rainbows and Brightlife, and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The project can be found by clicking here, while the Soundcloud page can be found here.

See cheshirearchives.org.uk for more information about Cheshire Archives and Local Studies.