Established in 1946, the Central Office of Information (COI) was a successor to the wartime Ministry of Information and was responsible for producing thousands of films that reflected the culture and concerns of the nation. With the majority of them previously unseen on DVD, these films provide a wonderful and fascinating record of British life in a seemingly more innocent age.

The COI film collection is preserved by the BFI National Archive in collaboration with COI and The National Archives (TNA). On 15th February, the BFI begins releasing thematic collections of COI films on DVD. Future collections will look at fashion, design, the military, food & drink and more.

The first volume, Police and Thieves, explores the subjects of crime, policing, juvenile delinquency and the justice system. A variety of styles and genres – including story documentary, public information shorts and cinemagazines – were employed to deliver crime prevention messages and bolster recruitment.

Highlights of this double-disc set include: Children on Trial (1946), an approved schools drama set in a progressive and enlightened system; Youth Club (1954), which proposed a solution to keeping Britain's young people out of trouble; Help Yourself (1950), a no-nonsense crime prevention film; Man on the Beat (1956) and British Policeman (1959), in which the local Bobby comes armed with a friendly smile.

The COI Collection Volume 1: Police and Thieves will be released in the UK as a 2-disc DVD on 15th February 2010 by the BFI at the RRP of £19.99. Volume 2 of The COI Collection will be Design for Today featuring fashion, design and architecture and will be released on 22 March. The accompanying 25-page booklet provides comprehensive film notes from academics and film historians and a brief history of COI.

The films included are:

Disc 1
Children on Trial (1946)           
Children of the City (1944)       
Probation Officer (1950)          
Youth Club (1954)       
A Chance for Brian (1977)                                                                               

Disc 2
Four Men in Prison (1950)
Help Yourself (1950)
Transatlantic Teleview 26: Man on the Beat (1956)
The British Policeman (1959)
Unit Beat Policing (1968)
Anything Can Happen (1973)
Bicycle Thefts (1974)
Snatch of the Day (1975)
Challenge for a Lifetime (1975)