Thousands in scramble for free books
Thousands of booklovers from across the UK are descending on a warehouse full of books which have been abandoned after the owners left the site.
People are turning up at the huge warehouse and arming themselves with as many books as they can get their hands on. Some are even driving cars and vans straight into the building and stacking their vehicles with the free books.
People have been arriving at the warehouse, which is the size of an aircraft hanger, in Porsches and on push-bikes and some have been stacking books into prams.
It is understood that the warehouse could have had as many as five million books in it. Titles range from Stephen King horror novels and books on computing, to literary classics and 1970's cookbooks.
The lease on the premises occupied by Bookbarn, the UK's largest used book warehouse, has expired and when the firm moved out of the 56,000 square metre warehouse in Bath Road, Bristol, it left it full of books.
Managers of the Paintworks site have now invited people to help themselves so that they can free up space at the site.
This Bookbarn is in no way connected to the company BookBarn International at Hallatrow in North Somerset.
The warehouse is understood to have supplied online book retailers.
Ashley Nicholson, a director of Verve who own the Paintworks site in Bath Road, Bristol, said: "Bookbarn were tenants at the site but their lease had expired so we had a huge warehouse full of books which we needed to clear.
"We asked them to clear the books and they got rid of some of them but there is still a huge huge number inside the warehouse.
"So we thought it was a sensible idea to give people the opportunity to come along and choose themselves a book or two and help us clear the warehouse.
"The response has been unbelievable since we opened it to the public on Monday. People have been coming in their droves.
"It's like a swarm of locusts. I think there might well have thousands of people turning up to stock up on the books since we opened the doors to the public on Monday.
"I've seen people backing cars and vans into the warehouse so they can stock up. And one couple even came in a campervan and I think they slept overnight and then crammed as many books as they could into their van and drove off.
"A lot of charities have also come to pick up books.
"And there have also been crowds of people carrying out bags and crates full of books - but I haven't seen any wheelbarrows yet.
"People have been scooping whole bookshelves worth of books into boxes and loading up there cars.
"There are some families and students standing on piles of books while they rummage through other piles. It really has been a remarkable scene.
"Word got out purely by word of mouth.
"The warehouse is enormous. It is 56,000 square feet which is about one-and-a-quarter acres in size.
"Bookbarn have been at the site for about three or four years."
Andy Toomey, the maintenance manager for the Paintworks site, said: "I am amazed by the number of people that have been coming down here.
"They have been coming from far and wide. I had one chap call me up yesterday from Milton Keynes and he just wanted to check there were still books left on the shelves before he started the drive.
"It's been a real mixture of people turning up.
"I've seen a couple of people pull up in front of the warehouse in a Porsche and I've seen others arrive on push bike. Everyone wants something if it's free.
"People are queuing up outside the warehouse up to three hours ahead of it opening at 10am.
"We have also invited people to take away the furniture so you can see cars pulling out of the warehouse with tables and chairs strapped to their roofs.
"I haven't heard of anyone finding a rare first edition yet - but I'm sure that if they did they wouldn't be telling me about it."
Rebecca Fitzgerald, 28 of Bristol is an art teacher and came hoping to find some books for her pupils.
She said: "I've got quite a mixed bag, something about hair cutting, housework, and another called 'The Life of Long Legged Women'.
"One of the other members of staff at the school I work at said it was closing so I had to come down and see what I could find."
Mark Lewis, 48, works at the Bristol League For Cats charity shop and came to stock up.
He said: "This is my third visit and, I've taken about 100 to 150 books.
"They will be resold, but they need to be clean.
"I know there are customers who like war books so I have taken a few of those, as well as prominent authors like Tom Clancy."
Rosalind Robbins, 58, came to find books for her whole family.
She said: "I've mainly taken stuff for my daughter, she likes Stephen King and that sort of thing.
"My husband is looking for anything and my son is going to join us to look for computer books.
"There's lots of them, some he bought for £45 when he was studying.
"It's a shame the bookbarn is going, I don't like walking on the books, it's criminal."
Agnes Brand, 72, came along with her 21-year-old grandson college student Alex.
She said: "There are Bibles, every kind of book.
The Bookbarn is open today (Friday) until 4pm and then next Monday to Friday, 10am until 4pm."
Jonny Mitchell, from Renegade Books in London spent the night in his van so he could get into the warehouse as early as possible this morning
His bookshop sells via Amazon and Play.co.uk
He said: "My friend called me and told me there were thousands of free books in need a home in Bristol.
"Before I'd finished the phone conversation I was climbing in my van and heading west.
"I camped out nearby overnight so I could get into the warehouse as early as possible this morning.
"As well as loading books into my van I've also managed to get lots of shelving. I reckon I've got about £3,000 worth of shelving already.
"I'm planning to hire a bigger van and come back several times.
"I'm hoping to take thousands of books back to my shop if I do three journeys down here.
"There are so many people here. People are walking away with armfuls of books and I've just seen one man pushing his away in a supermarket trolley."