REPRESENTATIVES of Ledbury's library users have written to county MPs, urging them to oppose council cuts which could leave the library staffed by volunteers.

Herefordshire Council is seeking to make savings of £8 million, and Ledbury's library is one that has been targeted with a proposal to withdraw paid staff and make it a "self-service" facility.

But the letter, signed by Robert Waddington, of Friends of the Master's House, and Nina Shields, of Ledbury Library Development Group, as well as representatives from Leominster and Ross, calls on MPs Bill Wiggin and Jesse Norman to support the market towns' libraries.

It says: "It is difficult to believe that the government intended to inflict such damage on our county when they drew up the parameters for the cutbacks.

"The proposed closures will remove from the market towns the expertise and experience of the library staff. This cannot be replaced by volunteers even if they are given some basic training to replace the university-trained staff.

"Volunteers do not have the necessary skills to provide information services, deal with book purchases etc. There is also the issue of the time commitment which would be expected from volunteers who are already heavily committed elsewhere."

Ledbury's library only moved into the Master's House, on St Katherine’s car park, in March, following a £2.9 million restoration of the 15th-century building.