An editor whose newspaper’s archive disappeared from the web without explanation two months ago has called for it to go back online.

Eastern Daily Press editor Richard Porritt has told readers he is “pushing” for a revival of the Local Recall project, which was launched by Archant with Google funding in 2020 but went offline earlier this year.

Local Recall featured digitised archives of the Norwich-based daily from as far back as 1870, but Richard has now explained it disappeared due to the platform being incompatible with technology used at the EDP, which is now owned by Newsquest.

Richard, pictured, has now suggested the project could be revived, possibly as part of the EDP’s recently-launched paid-for app – while admitting his boss “might not be too happy” with the idea.

His comments came in a video question and answer session with readers, in which a volunteer who had worked on the project asked him where it had gone.

In response, Richard said: “The platform that Local Recall was on previously no longer works alongside some of the tech that we now use here, so for at least the time being we’ve had to pause it until we can find a way of using it in a different manner.

“That might not be the way it presents itself to you as a user, but with regards to development and technology behind it.

“What I would truly love – and if my boss walks past and hears this he might not be very happy – but what I would truly love is to get that archive in the app.

“I think that would be fantastic to be able to search all the old editions of the EDP – and what a great resource for not a great deal of money every month. So that is something I’m pushing for, I can absolutely assure you.

“Please do watch this space but it hasn’t gone. We’ve still got it, it’s safe. It’s just at this moment in time you can’t get hold of it.”

The platform, which launched following a €676,000 Google grant and could be accessed by users for £5.99 a month, featured millions of articles from the EDP’s print archives and was fully integrated with smart speakers.

Neither Newsquest nor Google responded to HTFP’s requests for further information at the time of its disappearance.