COMEDIAN Peter Kay revealed the inspiration behind his successful career on a trip to his local library.

The popular comic and star of Phoenix Nights made a guest appearance at High Street Library, off Derby Street, Daubhill, after a special request from his mum Deirdre, who is still a regular visitor.

Peter, a former Mount St Joseph pupil, took a trip down memory lane and recalled his happy days visiting the library as a child to borrow his favourite books -- "Topsy and Tim" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

He said: "I've been coming in here since I was a kid and my mum still comes to the craft club. When I was older I used to work at the cinema in town and I got play scripts out to read on the stairs because they were thin and I could hide them under my jacket."

Peter was at the library to promote a "Reading Makeover" event where staff, dressed as fortune tellers, used a pendulum to predict what book people should read next.

Outreach worker Subnum Hariff conjured up Tony Parsons's book, "Man and Boy", for Peter.

Peter said: "I'm not too sure about that, I tend to prefer biographies. But trying to get more young people reading has got to be a good thing.

Peter's mum said: "The staff are really friendly here and there's always a good choice."

The event was part of the council's "Everybody's Reading" project which aims to encourage more 16 to 25-year-olds to pick up a book.

Go to www.everybody's reading.com for more information, or pop into the library.

Peter talks about his tour, his John Smith's adverts and life as a rising star in 24:7, free inside Friday's Bolton Evening News.