PARENTS and teachers at a Rawtenstall school teamed up to raise more than £2,700 for books to fill its newly refurbished library.

The library at St Paul’s CofE Primary School was the culmination of nearly a year’s work by the Parents in Partnership group.

The team attended the school in Hollin Lane each week, sorting and cataloguing books and to refurbishing the library, even painting it themselves and doing the artwork for book displays.

The library was officially opened by Will Straw, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Rossendale, who told the children about his favourite book, Winnie the Pooh, and read the children a chapter in which Piglet is entirely surrounded by water.

He said: “I have always loved reading and I remember sitting in the library in my primary school, so it was a real privilege to come and open the new library at St. Paul’s – and it was even better to share one of my favourite stories with the children.”

Earlier in the year, the PTA donated £2772 for new books.The group’s chair, Alyson Mousley, said: “Books are a great source of enjoyment and it is important that the children have access to a variety of books to suit their individual taste and ability."

Acting headteacher Samaira Nasim said: “I would like to thank Will Straw for opening the library and sharing his enthusiasm and love of reading with our pupils. We are also very grateful to our parents who have taken the lead on this project, both in creating a new library and donating contemporary books that our children want to read.

“Pupils will want to spend more time in the pleasant atmosphere of the new library, especially when their favourite books are in there.”