YOU might expect staff to frown on visitors making a song and dance in the library.

But at Breightmet they thought it was just the ticket when a group of drama pupils wanted to perform numbers from two Willy Russell musicals.

Library users looked on surprised as 16 drama students from Year 10 at Withins School tore through songs from Blood Brothers and Stags and Hens.

The unusual show, filmed by youth worker Dave Mulholland, was the latest part of a project to woo younger readers by blowing away the stuffy image of libraries. Project co-ordinator Gay O'Donnell said: "It was great fun. The public was all about, looking on and wondering what was happening. They even got involved in some of the scenes."

The Reading Lifelines scheme, funded by the Wolfson Foundation set up by Great Universal Stores founder Sir Isaac Wolfson, aims to encourage younger readers in the Breightmet area.

Other ideas to put the life into libraries have included an appearance by a rock band, sessions to encourage young mums to get back into reading. New members of Breightmet Library aged between 16 and 25 will receive a starter pack containing freebie vouchers for food and leisure attractions.

Donors include McDonald's, Warner Brothers Cinema at Middlebrook, UCG Cinema at the Valley, the Hollywood Bowl at Middlebrook, Bolton Wanderers (stadium tours) and the Water Place.

Bolton is one of 18 North-west authorities sharing £216,000 in funding from the Wolfson Foundation. STAGE STRUCK: From left: Nina Taylor, Stephanie Jones, Sean Thornton, all aged 14, Kelly Tyrer, 15, and Joanne Stott, 15 Ref: j2109-4