PUPILS and staff across the borough celebrated World Book Day by dressing up as their favourite characters.

To mark the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and Ireland, children from Isleworth, Hanworth and Feltham took time out from their normal lessons and ditched the school uniforms last Thursday.

Southville Junior School pupils with the best costumes were rewarded with book tokens and enjoyed reading stories to each other and making book-marks.

Becky Hubbard, who organised the event, said: "The whole school had a really fun day and it was a reminder of how important it is to read and enjoy books."

Children and staff at Sunnysmiles Childcare in South Isleworth Children's Centre also enjoyed pretending to be their favourite book characters and raised more than £50 for the Book Aid charity.

Little ones at Oriel Primary School in Feltham dressed up as dinosaurs in honour of guest author Ian Whybrow, who wrote the popular Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs.