A new library at Lakelands Academy has been opened by an award-winning children's author.

Alan Gibbons was on hand to officially open the new facility, named the Craig Colley Centre in honour of the Head of English at the school who died in 2017.

Gerald Pyburn, deputy headteacher at the school, said the new library is a spacious, vibrant and flexible space with stunning views of the Berwyn Mountains, the perfect environment for the students to explore the wonderful world of books.

He continued: "Developing young people’s literacy is a priority at Lakelands – helping them to become confident readers, widen their horizons and become better communicators.

"This is something that Craig was passionate about and his legacy lives on in this fantastic new resource’.

The grand opening was attended by Mr Colley’s family, Lakelands staff, students, governors and a representative from the Ellesmere Rotary Club who have donated many new books to the library.

When it was announced that the new library would be created, the generous response from the community was staggering, as books came pouring in on a daily basis to fill the shelves.

Mr Gibbons, gave a moving speech at the ceremony about the transformative power of books and the importance of libraries as the cornerstones of communities.

The Craig Colley Centre will enrich the knowledge and imaginations of the students at Lakelands through the joy of reading. Headteacher Sophy Bellis commented: "It’s a perfect tribute to a man who loved books and devoted his career to inspiring young people to read."