WORK is starting soon on the former Yorkshire Bank building, in Skipton high street, as a new tenant is lined up to take over.

In mid-June the windows will be lowered and then in late summer, early autumn the Oxfam bookshop, currently high up the high street towards the church, will move into the premises.

The building's owner got planning permission a year ago to lower the windows to make it a more attractive retail proposition. In the interim it has been used as a storage facility for Oxfam bookshop as the charity's current premises has very little storage.

A spokesman for the charity said because work was due to start soon there would be no more collections accepted on Thursdays at the bank building as had happened in the past. Instead, small numbers of books can be taken to the shop but it does not have the storage space for many.

He said: "We very much appreciate people's donations but ask if they can possibly hang on to them for a short while we will be pleased to take them when we move.

"We will have a much larger display area as well as a much larger storeroom at the old bank premises and are very much looking forward to the work being completed."

It is not known whether the shop space which Oxfam bookshop will vacate will be sold or re-let by its owner.