THE decision to stop selling tickets at Darwen Library for the town’s theatre in the same building has been condemned.

Borough leisure boss Cllr Damian Talbot has been urged to reverse the decision as a matter of urgency.

He suspended the sale of tickets for Darwen Library Theatre at the venue while a new system using more volunteers to help run it bedded in.

Now Fernhurst Tory councillor Jacquie Slater has called for the service to be restored after receiving complaints from elderly residents shocked to be unable to book seats while borrowing books.

She said: “I am very concerned about this

“Staff are telling people trying to book tickets to go to Darwen Leisure Centre to get them instead.

“That is too far for elderly and disabled residents to walk and many others will just give up and not be bothered. I have had several complaints.

“I fear this could lead to the theatre, which is really important to the town, losing customers and withering on the vine.

“They have not warned people about this change, which happened about four weeks ago, with the move to more volunteers.

“I am concerned about the effect on the theatre and on the library in the long-term when both need maximum footfall.”

Cllr Talbot recently revealed the library is now being run by two full-time council employees and 14 volunteers with five more set to join shortly.

He said: “We have no intention of running down the library theatre.

“It is a thriving venue which returned a profit for the borough last year.

“We stopped selling tickets for the theatre at the library while the volunteers adapted to the new system. We did to want to burden them with too much to learn.

“I shall review this and would expect to restore tickets sales for the theatre at Darwen Library in the short to medium-term.

“This is a change forced on the council by government cuts."

Cllr John East, vice chairman of the Friends of Darwen Library, said: “This is unfortunate.

“I would hope that the sale of tickets at the library can be restored as soon as is practicable.”

Theatre tickets can still be bought from Darwen Leisure Centre, King George’s Hall box office, by phone and online.