THE DAILY Echo takes a trip back 40 years ago through the pictures snapped by local photographers at the time.

These images were taken on the same month as severe blizzards hit the south west of England

Central defender Gordon McQueen became Britain’s first £500,000 footballer on February 9. The purchase was made by Manchester United to Leeds United.

Another first took place on February 13 when Anna Ford became the first female newsreader on ITN.

On February 18, twenty suspects were arrested in connection with the Provisional Irish Republican Army La Mon restaurant bombing in County Down which had killed 12 people and injured 30.

That month saw inflation fall to 9.9 percent - reaching single figures for the first time since 1973.

Many people were listening to ABBA's Take a Chance on Me while the average house cost £13,820