St Neots book craze started to encourage children to read

Children in St Neots are being encouraged to read more through a hidden books scheme.

Dozens of books have been sealed in plastic bags and hidden all over town. Inside the bag is a note asking whoever finds the book to read it and then hide it again afterwards for another child to discover and read.

Parents and children have been taking part in the book swap scheme, which was set up by Dave Judge and his partner Clare Tate.

Dave said: "I have done it to get children reading more and to get them off all these gadgets because I think there are a lot of games out there that are bad influences for children."

Explaining how the initiative works, he added: "You take old books out and hide them with a note, people find them and take them to read, take a picture and add it to the Facebook group.

"Once they have finished the book, they hide it again and hopefully one of their old books they have finished with too."

Those taking part in the scheme are then encouraged to post a photograph on the Look 4 a Book Facebook group.

Dave explained: "I started the group in April. I've lived in St Neots for about 18 months with my fiancé, I don't work because of my illness as I'm on too much medication to work as I have cystic fibrosis

Dave, aged 37, added: "I started a St Neots rocks group to encourage children to be creative.

The idea was to paint rocks to hide for other children to find and then hide again so I decided to do the same with old books."

Dave and Clare also set up the Facebook page in April and it has now had more than 500 'likes'.

So far hundreds of people have taken part in the craze, with people from other towns and villages being inspired to set up their own Look 4 a Book schemes.

INFO: To find out more about the initiative, search for St Neots Look 4 a Book on Facebook.