A £250,000 cash pot has been awarded to Richmond's Adult and Community College to enable it to expand a pilot initiative to provide information technology classes at the borough's branch libraries.

The college bid for a grant under a joint scheme run by the Department of Education and Employment and the New Opportunities Fund, providing communities with access to the latest technology.

It will use the money, which will run over a period of three years, to install computer equipment in the branch libraries at Kew, Castelnau, Heathfield, Hampton Hill and Hampton Wick as well as improving facilities at the Parkshot centre in Richmond.

College tutors will run training schemes at the branch libraries on the days they are officially closed to the public.

The opening hours at the libraries have been reduced from 35 to 17 hours a week by Richmond Council in an attempt to cut costs.

The IT schemes will be primarily aimed at the borough's older residents to enable them to communicate effectively through new technology.

All the courses are being organised by the college in partnership with the council and its library services.

College principal Christina Conroy said: "We are over the moon. We were up against stiff competition but we were able to prove that older learners are under-represented in this area.

"What is so pleasing about this is that we have a huge demand for IT courses and many of our classes at the college are full."