Bookworms at Oakworth Primary School are enjoying a new chapter in the school's life.

The school opened its new £16,000 library to the delight of eager young readers.

The honour of cutting the ribbon fell to five-year-old Holly Macfadden, who was one of the prize-winners in a school competition.

Head teacher Adrian Francis said: "We had the library upstairs and it was quite apparent when I came here last September that it wasn't ideal.

"In our last Ofsted report in May 2001 the inspector couldn't find much wrong with the school, but the library was identified as an area that required improvement, so this is also on the back of that.

"We wanted the library to be somewhere the children could love books, and to be a central part of school. What we want to do is make sure children make books their best friends."

The new facility, which has taken seven months to complete, is located in a previously unused room next to the hall and has been built using school funds and donations.

This includes £2,000 given by the Friends of Oakworth and donations of books from parents.

Books from the old library have also been moved to the new location and have been re-catalogued and, where necessary, repaired. To celebrate the opening the school held a competition where the students wrote about and drew pictures of their favourite fictional characters.

Four winners received books and runners up received certificates.

Children also dressed up as their favourite characters, with Harry Potter proving to be a popular choice.

Mr Francis also expressed his thanks to members of staff who catalogued the books and helped make the library a reality.

Children from Oakworth Primary School celebrate the opening of their new library with a book contest. Pictured in the library are winners, from left, Sam Williamson, six, Holly Macfadden, five, Sally Hankinson, ten, and Seline Brammah, seven.