Faded adverts once hand-painted onto the walls of York's buildings are being recorded as part of a heritage project.

Researchers Maisie Wilson and Dr Tyson Mitman are on a mission to photograph all the remnants of old company slogans on buildings in York, known as 'ghost signs'.

Images of the faded advertising for beers, shops and even an old ambulance station have been 'digitally documented' on a public blog and website.

Prominent paintings include a massive advert for Nightly Bile Beans and a smaller, square faded Co-Op painting from 1889.

One of the faded advertsOne of the faded adverts

There is a faded sign for John Smith's Magnet Ales and an intricate pattern painted around a building advertising an old dairy.

The often hand-painted signs, which have been preserved on sides of buildings for decades, offer a unique insight into the city's history, they say.

The project, which is supported by Historic England, also includes mosaics, sculptures and lettering on business premises.

Maisie, 26, a research associate at York St John University, said: "It's about the curiosity of it for me.

One of the ghost signsOne of the ghost signs

"What was the company? What were they advertising? What did York look like at the time?

"I've lived in York all my life, but I'll often walk through the city centre with my earphones in.

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"Doing this project has made me connected with this city."

The pair have photographed more than 100 faded shop fronts and wall adverts, some dating back as far as the 1800s.

For every sign that is photographed, they then research the signs using company directories and newspaper archives for the information section of the website.

The final step of the six month project is to interview people who have a connection to the signs.

One of the signsOne of the signs

So far, they have interviewed a woman who's dad was a sign painter and hope to interview two more people at least.

Maisie added: "They used paint with led in it, that's no longer in use, but the paint stays around for a lot longer, that's why so many are still visible.

"York has more than 100 ghost signs so it's a big task, but an exciting one.

"They're like a little window as to what the city used to look like. I feel I can understand and I can appreciate that a bit more."