YORK'S archivist has retired after 38 years service.

Rita Freedman began work in 1969 as a one-woman department recording the local history of the area for future generations.

Mrs Freedman, 65, has at times been an outspoken critic of the amount of funding given to the City Archives.

Despite her many years of service, Mrs Freedman said the highlight of her career only came about recently.

It came with the digitisation of two archive documents - the York Freemen's Roll and the York Memorandum.

The Freemen's Roll covers the years from 1272 to 1671 and gives the names of 15,000 local people.

The York Memorandum - which has material from 1327 to 1547 - includes the first list of the York Mystery Plays and also contains a letter from Richard III's secretary to the city.

Mrs Freedman, who lives near Egton on the North York Moors, said: "The digitisation is the highlight as it's the beginning of putting York records on the internet and people can have instant access to medieval material."

She said her time at the archives had "flown by".

She said: "I have not had a minute's boredom, which is more than you can say for a lot of jobs.

"It's been a challenge and I've met some absolutely fascinating people."

Mrs Freedman's retirement has been lamented by William Dixon Smith, of Acomb, a frequent visitor to the archives, which are based next to York Art Gallery.

He said: "Besides being a thorough professional, an expert archivist with the highest standards, she has the researcher's squirrel instinct, and over the years has amassed, from forgotten crannies and from the waste-paper baskets of careless officialdom, a priceless documentation.

"On her own initiative she has preserved, and by providing a prime and primary source for historians may be said to have created, the true history of York."

Mr Dixon Smith said City of York Council had shown "disdain" for the archives over the years, a fact shown by the archives' "appalling" accommodation and lack of funding. He said he was pessimistic for their future without Mrs Freedman.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said: "The council is totally committed to the future of the City Archives.

"The council recognises that it is vital that the city archive remains and is developed as a focus for civic pride and identity. This has clear implications for the need to retain its distinct identity and ethos.

"Given the nature of the collections that it contains, the City Archive Service should aspire to excellence and to being one of the very best in the country.

"We are very grateful to Rita for her hard work over the years and wish her a very happy retirement."