THE people of North Yorkshire are voracious readers, according to figures that have just been released.

Close to 2.5 million books were borrowed from libraries across the county over the last year, according to Stockton-based Public Lending Rights UK.

And although the total of 2,443,500 is two per cent down on the previous year it still beats the national figure, which has seen a decline of some 14 per cent.

The year also saw the county’s libraries issue more than 56,500 e-books and in January the service saw more active users than ever before and issued the 150,000th e-book since the launch of the service in 2010.

The county’s executive member for libraries, Cllr Chris Metcalfe, said: “Libraries in North Yorkshire offer extensive services – from public computers to meeting rooms to a wide range of digital resources – but our consultation on the future of the library service last year showed that books are still the lifeblood of libraries.

“We intend to continue to maintain our current level of investment in stock, £850,000 a year, and are pleased by the county’s healthy borrowing figures. “We are also investing in e-books and other electronic resources, which are increasingly popular with library users.”

Among the authors with most titles in the top 100 were Yorkshire-born Peter Robinson and James Patterson, each with five, and Ann Cleeves, Jo Nesbo, Michael Connelly, Robert Galbraith and Santa Montefiore, each with three.

The top five most borrowed books in North Yorkshire libraries were:

1. Personal by Lee Child

2. Abattoir Blues by Peter Robinson

3. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

5. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

More information about services available from North Yorkshire libraries, including the lending catalogue and e-books, can be found at northyorks.gov.uk/libraries.