The Stockport Registration Service is closing its final birth and death registers today (Friday 6 November).

The registrar service - which records the births and deaths of Stopfordians - will be moving to a secure digital system, marking the end of 190 years of handwritten records.

In a special ceremony, one of Stockport's newest residents - two-week-old baby Lydia - will be entered as the last person on the handwritten registry, with her mum and dad there to watch.

It marks a significant boundary in the borough's history. Civil registration was introduced in 1837, and since then all of Stockport's residents have been recorded on paper.

The registry has seen the industrial revolution, the introduction of the railway, two world wars, and much more.

Sharon Knight, Superintendent Registrar and registration service manager, said it was a 'truly special moment'.

"For almost 190 years, registrars have carefully maintained these records, preserving the stories of generations of Stockport residents", she said.

"While we're closing the registers themselves, we're not closing the chapter on registration. Our role remains as important as ever, supporting people through some of the biggest moments in their lives.

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"Today is an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of registrars past and present whose work has created an invaluable legacy for future generations."