The North Devon Gazette is celebrating 150 years of continuous publication.

The Archant-owned weekly started its life in January 1856 as The Devon and East Cornwall Gazette and Commercial Advertiser, and to mark its milestone the paper is giving a helping hand to local good causes.

Editor David Tanner said: "To celebrate the Gazette's anniversary, we are throwing open our columns this year to charities and good causes in North Devon which wish to raise money for worthwhile projects.

"Our Gazette 150 feature will turn the spotlight on these groups and help them raise the funds they need by giving them valuable publicity.

"The Gazette has a good track record for raising money. It is particularly noted for its promotion of the Light Up a Life campaign which raises considerable sums of money for the region's two hospices every Christmas."

According to Devon historian Peter Christie, the Gazette was started by Thomas Honey, a 26-year-old bookseller.

A few months after its launch the name of the paper changed to The Bideford Weekly Gazette and Devon and Cornwall Advertiser - its full title until 1909.

It began as a paid-for paper for Torridgeside, but it went free to cover the whole of North Devon more than 20 years ago.

It is now based in Barnstaple and is part of Archant South West. It distributes more than 53,000 copies a week.

David said: "It's great to celebrate 150 years of the Gazette and with a recent redesign of the title we are very much looking to the future."