SUTTON children took the crown as the Original Factory Shop kicked off its 50th anniversary celebrations with an art competition.

Pupils from Sutton CofE Primary School were the local winners of the store chain’s contest and will now have their artworks entered in the national finals.

Victory was particularly sweet for the local children because the Keighley shop, in the former Peter Black factory, was the company’s first-ever in 1969.

The Original Factory shop originally sold goods made by clothing and footwear giant Peter Black but grew into a countrywide concern selling a wide range of goods.

The Keighley shop began the national celebrations this month with a party for staff and customers.

Staff invited local schools to compete for a chance to win £1,000 by creating artwork that best represented the town and what their community meant to them.

A spokesman said: “After weeks of entries coming in, the winning school for the town was named as Sutton-In-Craven CofE who had their winning artwork displayed in store.

“The overall winner for the UK will be judged by the Chief Executive Officer of the Original Factory Shop, Emma Fox.”

“Since 1969, The Original Factory Shop has been sitting at the heart of communities across the UK, offering value, choice and quality.”

The Keighley party was billed as a celebration of “all things Keighley” with entertainment throughout the weekend, along with discounts on products.

Entertainment included a performance from a local dance school, a spirits tombola, in-store party games such as pass-the-parcel and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and staff dressed in 60s outfits.

Emma Fox said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating 50 years in the community. Everyone in Keighley came together for an amazing event. We want to thank everyone for their tremendous efforts.

“Our success is built on hard work, a solid formula and being constantly on the lookout for products that deliver what our customers want the most: quality brands at factory shop prices.”