One hundred and forty two years of history made way for the new this week, as HM Land Registry converted its last ever paper register. From today, Land Registry's data on over 19 million property titles is held electronically, meaning an end to the traditional ‘Blue Card’ Register.

To mark the event, Land Registry chief executive, Peter Collis symbolically tore up the last blue card and entered the details onto Land Registry's database - the largest online transactional database in the world.

Speaking at the ceremony at Land Registry's Harrow Office, Peter Collis said:

"This is an historic moment for the Registry. For most of our 142 years, we have operated with an entirely paper system, but over the last few years we have computerised all of our database, now making it the world's largest online transactional database."

• Prior to computerisation, the blue card register was traditionally the way that Land Registry recorded title ownership details. In March 2001, there were half a million remaining blue card registers.
• In November 2003, Land Registry won the Winter Corporation Award for the world's largest online transactional database, beating giants such as Verizon, BT and Lucent.
• With the world's largest online transactional property database, today's Land Registry underpins the economy by guaranteeing ownership of many billions of pounds worth of property. Around £1 million worth of property is processed every minute in England and Wales.

Land Registry is a government department, executive agency and trading fund, reporting to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor. Land Registry keeps and maintains a register of interests in land for England and Wales. There are 24 offices in England and Wales, each providing land registration services for different counties and unitary authorities.

For more information about Land Registry, visit the website at www.landregistry.gov.uk www.landregistry.gov.uk