THE bright new dawn of colour television may have arrived more than half-a-century ago - but some households in Inverclyde are still watching their favourite shows on black and white sets.

Official figures have revealed that eight addresses in the district have licences only for monochrome TVs — two MORE than in 2015, when six houses were said to have them.

In the internet age of binge-watching box sets of lavishly funded dramas, the hard core of local black and white stalwarts are among more than 400 Scots keeping faith with their dated TVs.

Jim McLauchlan of Scotland's Museum of Communication says he's not surprised that many people are still revelling in the nostalgia of an almost bygone era.

He said: "I know first-hand the value of black and white TVs.

"A friend of mine never had a colour TV and the reason was that all he wanted to view was the news and the occasional current affairs programme and to him watching that in black and white was good enough."

Jim added: "You also can't overstate that the cost of keeping up with new technology which can be a real barrier.

"However, for many people nostalgia also has a part to play."

As well as the eight recorded black and white licences in Inverclyde, there are 105 in nearby Glasgow and 41 in Edinburgh.

The cost of having one is £49 a year, compared with £145.50 for a colour licence.

Museum curator Jim said: "It is now some years since I have come across anyone using a black and white television, though the occasional person has one tucked away in their attic.

"We certainly get them donated now and then to the museum and there are an increasing number of collectors throughout the UK collecting black and white sets from as early as 1940s onwards and, in fact, the older the better, with some now fetching good prices."

Fergus Reid, of TV Licensing, said: "Over half of the UK's TVs now connect to the internet, so it's interesting that more than 400 households in Scotland and over 7,000 across the UK still choose to watch their favourite shows on a black and white telly."

Mr Reid added: "Whether you watch Eastenders, Strictly or Question Time in black and white on a 50-year-old set or in colour on a tablet, you need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record programmes as they are broadcast.

"You also need to be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, on any device."