A selection of ITV programmes can now be bought from the iTunes Store in the UK.

Viewers will be able to catch up with episodes they may have missed or would like to see again by downloading up to 260 previously aired programmes.

These include Brideshead Revisited, Cold Feet and puppet show Captain Scarlet.

ITV has said Inspector Morse and The Saint will be available later this year.

Each episode can be downloaded from iTunes for £1.89 and then viewed on a Mac or PC, video iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

Programmes will become available 30 days after they have been broadcast.

ITV executive Dawn Airey said: "We want to give our viewers the opportunity to watch their favourite shows wherever they are.

"ITV has thousands of hours of classic content in the archive, which we are bringing to a whole new audience via iTunes."

The move follows similar announcements by other broadcasters.

In February this year BBC Worldwide said it would make a range of its programmes, including The Mighty Boosh and The Catherine Tate Show, available on iTunes.

Channel 4 also signed a deal with iTunes in March giving viewers the opportunity to download programmes such as Shameless and Skins.

Both broadcasters have set prices at £1.89 an episode.

ITV is also working with the BBC and Channel 4 on an on-demand service called Kangaroo, which will offer more than 10,000 hours of programmes. It is due to launch later this year.