Two of Britain's best-selling regional newspapers have launched new versions of their websites especially designed to be viewed on mobile phones.

West Midlands-based Express and Star and sister title Shropshire Star are now offering news and sport for internet-enabled mobile phones.

The new sites carry images alongside text stories and will be updated with breaking news automatically throughout the day as the papers' internet teams add new content.

They were built by the company's online arm MNA Digital with Bromsgrove-based mobile technology firm Wapple.

Head of digital David Ratcliffe said: "The number of readers accessing the MNA websites using mobile phones has grown steadily in recent months, particularly since the launch of the iPhone.

"Print customers are used to being able to take their newspaper anywhere, now the digital audience can access content on the move.

"The new mobile sites offer an exciting opportunity to better understand the dynamics of this channel."

Access to the sites is free beyond normal mobile phone charges and readers will be able to join in debates by adding comments to stories via their mobiles.

The mobile websites retain the Expressandstar.com and Shropshirestar.com branding but have a simplified navigation to make it easier to access lead stories.

Readers will also be able to view large photos in the picture galleries.

This is latest move by a newspaper company to put their content onto mobile phones.

Last month Trinity Mirror announced it was developing mobile sites for 12 of its regional dailies including Birmingham Post and Mail and Liverpool Echo and Daily Post, due to be launched in the autumn.