It was a case of "ship ahoy!" for excited school children who welcomed the opening of their revamped library on Monday.

Students at Woodmansterne Primary school, in Carshalton Road, Banstead, celebrated the grand unveiling of the refurbished facility with their families, none of whom had been given a peek of the changes beforehand. 

The central feature of the library is now a barge for pupils to sit in - to fit in with its new nautical theme, which was selected through a school project.

The school's parent and teacher association contributed money towards the refurbishment, which was carried out by volunteers, led by school governor Dave Chorlton.

The library was opened by former pupil Lord Tope, a Sutton councillor with an interest in the development of reading for children.