A WALLASEY bookworm was thrown a novel party to celebrate borrowing nearly 19,000 books.

Pensioner Ruth Ogden, 94, has one of the longest running library memberships in Wirral and staff at Wallasey central library helped to honour her 87 years of reading.

Stranger than fiction, Ruth, from Fieldway spends seven days a week choosing her next book, and heads straight for the horror section.

"Horror and fiction have always been my favourites," she said.

"I love the suspense and how they are written."

True to her word, she has borrowed another two books and is always scanning the shelves for her next conquest.

Ruth began school at the later age of seven due to ill health, but fell in love with the library and has been going every day since.

She said: "I would visit the library each day on the way home from school, I loved it, every week I would begin a new book."

Very much part of the décor, staff at the library laid out a tea party to thank their highly valued customer.

Librarian Dianne Moore said that Ruth has graced them with her pleasant nature over the years.

"Ruth is a credit, she is always so pleasant, making everyone smile, she really does brighten up our day.

"We just wanted to give her something back for all the support she has given us over the years."

Ruth, a former primary school teacher added, "I'm so grateful for what they have done, I just can't believe it, they are all very very kind."

Wallasey Library opened in the early 1920's and was the first of its kind to have their very own children's section in England.