Dressing up as their favourite characters for World Book Day pupils in Kingsbury celebrated a new library at their primary school.

St Robert Southwell School in Slough Lane, celebrated the day with the official opening of its new library by Barry Gardiner MP and Father David Williamson from St Sebastian & Pancras Church in Hay Lane, who gave a blessing.

Mr Gardiner cut the ribbon and handed out prizes to the winners of an in-house library competition.

James Cawley, 10, said: “This new library is a brilliant achievement. The facilities are just too good. This is going to help our learning and we have all the recent books.”

Classmate Megan Angland added: “I don’t like reading that much but as the library has opened there are lots of books to choose from, and you get better scores in your tests.”

Ten-year-old Grace Duffy said: “It’s really good because you can go on the laptops to finish off homework and you can borrow books. The benefit for the children is that it will make their imaginations grow for stories.”

Kaleb Brewster, 11, said: “I like how it is not just a library but it is also a place where you can sit back and relax and at the same time read a book.”

The school was expanded from one and a half forms in entry to two in 2014 and a new building incorporating five new classrooms, new small hall and welfare room was funded by Brent Council.

The cash allowed the school to refurbish an existing classroom into a new library.

Honor Beck, headteacher, said: “The children and the whole school community are thrilled to have a new library which has already excited the children about reading.

“The opening coincided with World Book Day. Barry Gardiner officially opened the library and presented prizes to the children and this was followed by a blessing from our parish priest Fr David.”