FORMER Conservative Party leader William Hague cut a ribbon with a pair of donated scissors to officially mark the opening of an extension at an Oxfam shop.

The Richmond MP was in his constituency to launch the extended range of books on offer at the Finkle Street charity shop.

"We had to laugh, because the donated scissors we used really weren't that good," said manager Betty Clayton.

The store has now tripled the amount of books it can sell, with added storage room and shelving.

"Books are a great seller for Oxfam nationally, and here in Richmond I would imagine they bring in the most of the money," said Mrs Clayton.

Mr Hague was also at the shop to answer questions about the Conservative Party's approach to fair trade, as part of Oxfam's long-running Scale up for Trade Justice campaign.