THE winner of Oxfam bookshop's local knowledge quiz was awarded a range of books and a tour of Tavistock Police Station for getting the most correct answers.

The quiz, part of Oxfam Bookfest fortnight, was won by Ben James, but his father Lez collected the prize on his behalf.

Police officer and local author Simon Dell offered to conduct a tour of the police station and its cells as part of the prize, and gave a copy of his book on the history of the station.

Also at the shop to congratulate the winner was Andrew Kirby, manager of Mansbridge and Balment in Tavistock, who has been helping the shop since it opened. Mansbridge and Balment sponsored the quiz and carried out all the photocopying of the quiz and answer sheets for Oxfam.

The company has also been sending letters to all those using its service who are moving house locally, to inform them about the partnership and encourage donations of books to Oxfam when people are sorting their possessions.

Val Sharpe, of Oxfam Bookshop, said: 'We have had some particularly large donations from people who are clearing a house in difficult circumstances, maybe a death of a parent or older family members moving into smaller accommodation or sheltered housing, and parting with large numbers of books is just really hard or emotionally hard.

'It genuinely seems to help that they can bring the books to us so they don't have to take them to the tip or the landfill — in fact a lot of the books get another life this way.'