A STORY at night can result in a happier life for your child.

Now local parents are being urged to read bedtime stories to their youngsters and boost the children's chances of growing into more fulfilled adults.

For research shows that today's busy mums and dads are not spending as much time reading with their children as they used to.

Yet experts say that youngsters are more at risk of developing anti-social behaviour in later life if parents neglect their duties as story-tellers.

Local library bosses have now drawn up a list of bedtime story books to give parents a helping hand. Councillor Siobhan Costello, arts and culture spokesman, said: "Reading to young children introduces them to the reading habit. It stimulates their imagination, develops language skills and prepares the way for learning.

"In the busy world in which we live, such things as bedtime stories can easily be forgotten or abandoned but, according to the research that is coming out, that is not a healthy situation."

The council's book lists are aimed at several age ranges, from under-5s to those aged between six and eight and from eight to eleven years old.

"Often parents are unsure what reading material is advisable for their children," she said. "Hopefully our newly created book lists will get round that problem."

Information about other books for children is available from the Book Trust website at www.booktrust.org.uk. This can be loaded up at home or at borough libraries, where story-telling sessions for toddlers are also organised regularly.

Coun Costello added: "We are not telling parents what they should be doing but making life a little easier for them if they want to sit and spend some time reading with their children at the end of the day."