A BURNLEY writer has won a national award from librarians and library readers for his best-selling series of crime novels.

Stephen Booth, 51, has won the 2003 Dagger in the Library award, presented by the UK Crime Writers' Association to the author "whose books have given readers the most pleasure".

Nominations for the accolade are made by librarians throughout the country based on the views of their readers, and the final judging panel consists entirely of librarians.

Stephen's series is set in and around the fictional Peak District town of Edendale, but features many familiar locations.

Most of the action in the most recent book, Blind to the Bones, takes place around Longdendale and Glossop.

The central characters in the books are two young Derbyshire police detectives, Ben Cooper and Diane Fry.

The former journalist is working on number five in the series, One Last Breath, which is largely set in Castleton and the Hope Valley.

His books have also proved popular in the USA where readers have twice voted him the author of the Best British Crime Novel in the prestigious Barry Awards.

He is the first author to win twice in the history of the awards, in 2001 and 2002, beating off competition from some of the big names in British crime writing, including P D James and Ian Rankin.

Stephen, who was born in Burnley, brought up in Blackpool and now lives in Nottinghamshire, said: "An award like the Dagger in the Library means a lot to me, because it's based on the opinion of readers.

"From my point of view, the most important thing in the world is to know that people are enjoying my books.

"Also, I've owed a lot to libraries throughout my life, particularly when I was growing up, and it's wonderful to think that I might be repaying the debt a bit by giving pleasure to other readers."