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Researchers investigating Hull's African links

Researchers are trying to trace people in Hull who have African ancestors for a new archive.

The William Wilberforce statue in Hull Credit: Press Association

Dozens of local historians have spent the day at an event to start the new project which is being led by the Wilberforce Monument Fund.

Once the team have gathered as many stories as they can they will form a new exhibition showing how Africa continues to influence those living in the area today.

We're asking people to look through their photographs to see things that they might have overlooked and certainly we know that maybe even as recent times as the 1930s there'll be merchant seamen that would have settled here and their family would have been part of the fabric.

Many people might find that there's more surprise within their family's own history than they realise now that the focus is on that and that they've been asked to look.

– Wilberforce Memorial Fund