BICESTER bookworms won't be short of a good read after the town bucked the trend to opens a new state-of-the-art library three times the size of its predecessor.

Nearly 50,000 books were on offer to entertain both young and old crowds that turned up for the new and improved library opening this week.

It opened despite Oxfordshire's library service planning to make £1m of savings in the next four years.

Sisters Olivia, 10, and Eva Williamson, six, were impressed with the "much bigger" library and "cool seats" as they settled in for a good read.

Mum Hannah Williamson, from Glory Farm, Bicester, said: "Compared to the old one it is great, there is lots of books and quirky little areas for reading.

"It is exciting for Bicester considering you hear of other libraries having to be closed or funding cut, yet we have this lovely new library.

"It is also better being right in the town.

"My two girls really enjoy reading and we used to go a lot to the old library but I can see us coming here a lot more often."

The library, in Franklin's House, is part of the £6.6m project which marks the final phase of Bicester’s regeneration that saw the construction of Pioneer Square in 2013.

Alongside the library, a new Cherwell District Council office, a 53-bedroom Travelodge, office space and shop space also share the building.

The library also has a permanent space for the Bicester jobs club and Bicester Local History Society.

History society chairman Bob Hessian said: "I am really impressed, lots of people have come and so far there has been a lot of interest.

"We didn't know what to expect with the space we have so it is early doors and we hope to have regular history days or events for people to come along to.

"It is great opportunity for the Bicester Local History Society to be able to be here and get the message out and hopefully encourage some interest into the town's history.

"There is so much going on and I think there is a danger of forgetting that Bicester is an historic town with its architecture and heritage."

The new 813m sq library also boasts free wifi and 21 public computers for the tech-savvy locals.

Resident Bernard Gibbs uses the town library computers up to three times a week, he said: "I had missed the library since it had been closed, it is very impressive and so much more efficient.

"The staff are great and you sometime had to wait for a computer at the old library but looks like they have more here."

It was paid for by developers as part of the expansion of Bicester at no cost to the public purse.