A FORMER toy shop in the heart of York is to be brought back into use.

Christian bookseller St Pauls is to move into the old Toyworld building in King's Square later this year.

It will be the firm's sixth shop, and its first in York.

The announcement is a boost for the King's Square area, following the closure of Toyworld just over a year ago, and the announcement earlier this month that the nearby JJB Sports was also to shut.

Stephen Moseling, operations coordinator for St Pauls, said the retailer would take over both the ground floor and basement of the shop, and it will stock books, devotional articles, church furnishings, vestments, Christian cards, gifts, and audio/visual material.

Last autumn, it looked like North Yorkshire café company Chocolate Falls would move into the site, to add to its branches in Scarborough and Whitby.

But despite receiving planning permission from the council, the move never happened. The firm's owner Spencer Dunkley said today: "With the way the market is at the moment, we thought we would sit and wait, and ride out this year.

"We are still hopeful of moving to York but I think this year will be a poor year."

Mr Moseling said St Pauls hoped to move into the premises in the first week in September.

Asked why the firm wanted to come to York, he said: "Principally because it is an important centre for Christian pilgrimage, with York Minster and the shrine to Margaret Clitherow."

He said there was a dearth of Christian booksellers in York, and they wanted to fill a gap.

He said: "Although we are a Catholic foundation, we do look to provide resources for Christians of all denominations."

St Pauls has two stores in Leeds, one in London, one in Birmingham, and one in Ireland.