The iconic British Central Office of Information films - that steered a nation at war through its darkest days to final victory and then through a newly nervous 'nuclear threat' world - are to be made more widely available thanks to a new agreement.

The 1960s road safety star 'Tufty' and other television icons are also going to be available for posterity thanks to the British Film Institute (BFI) securing an agreement with the Central Office of Information (COI) over the archive, representing as it does one of the most significant contributions ever made to cinematography and TV by a government agency.

The deal will see the BFI manage and commercially represent the entire collection of public information films.

The arrangement, which comes into effect immediately, will create a combined collection of 20,000 films; the biggest single source of moving image material produced by the Government, which is now being cared for by the BFI National Archive.

The COI collection charts the attitudes and preoccupations of British society through every decade from the 1930s and provides a unique insight into Government's changing priorities for public information, from simple messages telling children how to cross the road through to more hard-hitting information about how to survive a nuclear bomb.

Originally shown in cinemas, the films are an excellent example of social commentary and reflect the important social issues of the day.

For example, in 1939, the Ministry of Information was preparing Britain for war and the threat of air attacks.

In the 1950s, with the growth of TV, films delivered shorter and snappier messages that are now household phrases such as 'Cough and Sneezes spread diseases' and 'Clunk Click - Every Trip' on car seat belt usage.

The 1970s saw classic characters like Charley the Cat, Tufty the Squirrel and the Green Cross Code Man (Dave Prowse) promote personal and road safety, and today's films cover important subjects such as climate change and internet safety.

Broadcasters from all over the world make requests for COI material on an almost daily basis and now that these films are available in one place at BFI, access to footage will be much easier and quicker.

Peter Fydler, Head of Footage Sales at the BFI, said: "It makes good sense to bring the COI collection under one roof. Firstly, from a curatorial perspective a more complete body of work can be presented contextually and secondly, it is quicker and more efficient for customers when they come to us looking to use footage from the collection."

(CD)(BMcC)