DRESSED as their favourite fairy tale characters, children celebrated the written word and picked up books for their school.

The 140 youngsters from White Oak Primary School, Hilda May Avenue, Swanley, were all taking part in Kent Book Day.

Dressed as characters including Mini Mouse and Harry Potter, the children, aged between four and 11, were each allowed to choose a new book to put on the shelves of their school's library.

The day was a joint initiative between Kent County Council and Shall They All Read a Kent-based charity aiming to encourage interest in reading by providing free books to schools.

The primary school was awarded £1,000 by the charity which was spent on titles such as The Gunpowder Plot, Ancient Greece and Cakes and Cookies For Beginners.