THOUSANDS of bookworms took part in a reading challenge to build their literacy skills.

New figures show City of York Council is hosting events attended by more than 3,000 children in an attempt to improve the standard of reading at schools in the city.

This comes after a report found pupils from struggling families in York were failing to reach a required reading standard by the time they are 11-years-old.

Research carried out in partnership with Save the Children revealed poor youngsters in the York Central and York Outer constituencies are struggling to keep up with their classmates from affluent backgrounds.

But figures released by the authority revealed 3,378 children took part in their summer's annual Mythical Maze challenge to read six books during the summer holidays.

On top of this, Explore Acomb Library hosts Mud Pie Arts Theatre Company every week for storytelling sessions while the Chatterbox reading group meeting fortnightly.

Teenagers aged up to 15-years-old can also attend sessions on the first Tuesday of every month at Explore York.

The first one will be held on Tuesday, January 20, to coincide with the venue's opening date.

In York Central, only 64 per cent of school pupils can “read well” at 11-years-old while 61 per cent of children in York Outer have made the grade, placing the two constituencies in the country’s worst performing 25 per cent.

However, the council is encouraging fathers to read with their children after securing a £65,000 innovation grant from the Department for Education.

The money goes towards supporting the learning of more than 600 children in areas of low educational achievement by encouraging their fathers to take a more active role in their development through Fathers Reading Every Day (FRED).

Cllr Janet Looker, cabinet member for Education, Children and Young People, City of York Council, said: "Studies show just how important it is for young children to have positive male role models.

"We already have some great dads, teachers, care workers and volunteers in York and this initiative is about celebrating the work they do and encouraging other men to get involved."