A story from a wartime copy of the Stoke Sentinel looks set to earn a family a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Seven brothers from the Screen family of Hanley, in Staffordshire, served in different sections of the forces during the Second World War - the highest number of brothers known to have fought in the conflict.

Keith Screen, a grandson of one of the brothers, spotted a an article in the Daily Mail which told the story of seven brothers from the Burdon family of County Durham that currently hold the record - prompting him to make his own family's claim on the record.

He said: "I knew my family had exactly the same number serving. I've even got a copy of the Sentinel from the time to prove it."

The brothers featured in a front-page article of The Evening Sentinel on February 4, 1941, headlined: Record of Hanley Family, the first paragraph of which reads: "Seven sons serving in the forces is the proud record of a Hanley family".

And the article could now help Mr Screen to get his family a place in the record books.

He said: "I wanted to show what my grandfather and his brothers achieved. I know my grandfather was proud of their record."

A spokesman for the Guinness Book of Records said: "We will examine Mr Screen's claim and our researchers will search through the records for proof.

"If seven brothers from the Screen family all served in the war then it is possible that the Burdon and Screen families could hold the record jointly."

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nepmidlands.co.uk