A contacts website for reporters launched by a former regional journalist has now gone global.

Bob Mills, who worked for the Staffordshire Advertiser, Staffordshire Newsletter and Sunday Mercury, started expertsources as a database for reporters needing an expert to interview in a particular field.

Now, just over three years after its launch, the site has been opened up to the international market.

In 2007 the website recorded more than two million hits which gave Bob the impetus to expand it to international journalists and experts.

Bob said: “Originally we were only catering for experts and journalists based in the UK but with growing interest from people overseas we are now expanding worldwide.

“Having worked in radio, television and on newspapers I obviously know how important it is to find experts quickly and easily – and often how difficult it can be to find people other than the ‘usual suspects’ to quote and interview.

“You can find experts on almost anything by going to just one site. That takes the hassle out of using the internet over and over again.

“And you know the people you’re calling are ‘media friendly’ because they’ve already signed up to be contacted.

“We’re now getting more than 4,000 keyword searches by journalists every month.”

Bob thought of expertsources while working as a producer on Sky News.

It is funded through subscription services paid by the experts meaning journalists can access it for free.

It currently has 2,500 journalists using the site and more than 1,500 experts available from fields as diverse as ethical shopping to internet marketing.