A HAVEN for bookworms opened its doors in Stockton High Street yesterday.

The first floor of the new Butterwick Care Hospice store is a book shop with a seating area so visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee while browsing the latest reads.

A range of fashions and artefacts are available on the ground floor.

The store was officially opened by long-serving Butterwick Hospice Care retail manager Betty Lee.

Butterwick Hospice Care provides care to patients across the North-East and its charity shops, run with the help of 265 volunteers, are vital to fundraising activities.

The charity, which already runs a smaller shop at the end of the High Street, is now searching for volunteers who have been trained as librarians to help run the book shop.

Anyone interested should call (01642) 615824, or drop into the shop.