AUDIO marking the history of RAF Harrowbeer has now gone online for the public to hear, following an expansion in services provided by a charity radio station.

Hospital Radio Plymouth, which was founded in 1969, has broadcast to hospitals in the city for more than four decades.

Now it has decided to make a selection of its speech-based programmes available to the wider community to listen to on the internet.

The shows include two one-hour long recordings about the Harrowbeer air base, one marking the history of RAF Harrowbeer and another recorded during the 70th anniversary weekend at the site in 2011.

The anniversary broadcast includes commentary on the flypast of a 65hp 1940s Piper L4 Cub aeroplane and the sound of a Mk3 Sea King helicopter landing, followed by an interview with its pilot.

Hospital Radio Plymouth chairman Sir Andrew Hill said: 'As people are generally having shorter stays in hospital and spending more time convalescing in the community, it is a natural extension to our service to make our programming available to those at home as well as to those in hospital.

'This project is the first stage of this expansion which also includes providing audio on health and well-being issues, such as Glaucoma as part of the recent Glaucoma Awareness Week.'

There are already more than two dozen shows available to listen to online and these can be found by logging onto http://www.soundcloud.com/hospital-radio-plymouth">www.soundcloud.com/hospital-radio-plymouth

The station has received a number of awards for its programming in recent years, most recently being Highly Commended at the 2013 EDF Energy South West Media Awards in Exeter for its coverage of community events.