Yellow Pages, the local business directory that famously helped JR Hartley find his book on fly fishing, is set to go out of print.

More than five decades after it launched in the UK, Yellow Pages will no longer be published on paper from next year onwards,

Its owner, Yell, has announced the final print cycle of Yellow Pages, marking the company's full transition to a purely digital business.

The first of the 104 final editions is being distributed in Kingston in January 2018, with the final ever edition distributed in January 2019 in Brighton, back where it all began.

Yellow Pages was first published in 1966 and for many years has been a popular way for consumers to search and find local businesses.

Yell is well known for its iconic advertising, including the famous J.R. Hartley campaign and one featuring a hungover teenager in desperate need of a French polisher.

Richard Hanscott, CEO of Yell, said: ''After 51 years in production, Yellow Pages is a household name and we're proud to say that we still have customers who've been with us from the very first Yellow Pages edition in 1966. How many brands can say they've had customers with them for over 50 years?"

Following the rapid growth of digital and social media, Yell has transformed into a digital business - helping businesses and consumers be successful online.

Launching a new pledge, Yell is committing to help a million businesses be found, chosen and trusted by more customers online by 2020.

Mr Hanscott added: ''We're proud of the transformation we've made from print to digital. Like many businesses, Yell has found that succeeding in digital demands constant change and innovation.

"We're well placed to continue to help local businesses and consumers be successful online, both now and in the future.''