THE county’s libraries are on borrowed time if they can’t lend themselves to other uses or find volunteers to run them through fund-raising support.

Services would be slashed to “core activity” with opening hours reduced at some sites by as much as 50 per cent and the emphasis shifted to online access.

A future for the county’s past could see trusts caring for heritage collections, while town and parish councils take on sites of historic or cultural significance.

Those are the stark choices put to Herefordshire Council’s cabinet today (Thursday) as members meet to make big savings on library, museum and customer services. Cabinet will be warned that the savings proposed are just the start and even these open up the likelihood of legal challenges.

For more on this story, see today's Hereford Times. A full write-up on today's meeting will be in next week's Hereford Times.