Chester-le-Street'S town crier swapped the traditional scroll for a copy of Pride and Prejudice, when she took part in The Big Read.

Marjorie Dodds took to the streets of Newcastle to 'busk a book,' recently, under Grey's Monument.

Passers-by stopped to listen as she read a chapter from one of Jane Austen's most famous novels and reading was then continued by students from Blyth Community College, local actors and book-lovers.

It brought back memories for Chester-le-Street's first town crier, who worked as a teacher prior to her retirement.

She attributed her success in winning the town crier title last year, to her experience of commanding the attention of a classroom.

The BBC's Big Read UK initiative involves, among other events, getting celebrities to talk about their favourite book and is raising money for Oxfam.

But the North-East busk was organised by the Oxfam Bookshop in St Mary's Place, Newcastle, in aid of Oxfam's literacy programme.

Sandy Chadwin, manager of the bookshop, said "We thought it might make a nice change to have buskers reading instead of singing for Christmas shoppers and the books in The Big Read are ideal ones to chose."