DORSET families are being urged to take part in a major study into Britain's genetic history.

The county is believed to be one of the most important sites in the UK for the research, which aims to determine the genetic impact of peoples such as the Angles, Saxons and Vikings on present day UK.

Three Oxford professors have secured funding from the Wellcome Trust and Dorset's position in the heartlands of Anglo-Saxon Wessex makes it of particular interest to the project, called People of the British Isles.

Those behind the project aim to collect blood samples from people throughout the UK whose parents and grandparents on both sides of the family were born in the same area, for example the same parish or within a 30-40 mile radius.

They will use the samples to look at the patterns of differences in people's genetic make-up in different regions, and so produce a genetic map of the UK.

Volunteers must be over 18 and will need to spend around 60 minutes filling in a questionnaire and giving a blood sample. All samples will be anonymous.

Blood samples will be collected at St Peter's Church Hall in Dorchester town centre on May 13 and 14.

There will also be a wine reception and lecture on the project on the evening of May 13.

Anyone who would like to volunteer or requires further information should call Tammy Day at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology in Oxford on 01865 863819.