A STORM of protest has erupted over plans to close a popular Rossendale library.

Users of Waterfoot Library have attacked the decision by Lancashire County Council and fear the closure would deprive the town's people of accessible book lending facilities.

Hundreds of protesters have signed a petition in a bid to put the brakes on the plans.

Residents are angry at council chiefs after they reassured users last year that the service would not be axed despite three neighbourhood centres closing under shake-up plans of council services.

Today Steve Taylor, owner of Steve's Quality Fruiterers, Bacup Road, said: "County council leader Hazel Harding got her CBE on the back of services to the people through her work in local government but we feel she has stabbed us in the back and doesn't care about local services.

"Why isn't the library in her constituency of Crawshawbooth closing?

"It's a much smaller library and probably isn't as well used as Waterfoot which is a really busy and thriving library. To close it for no good reason is wrong."

Steve, whose son Bradley learnt to read at the library, launched the petition earlier this week and said people had been queuing up to sign it. The forms are in shops throughout Waterfoot.

He added: "I filled three pages of signatures on the first day and it's been going like that every day. People have been calling in just to sign it because they really don't want the library to close."

County library bosses have defended the decision to axe the library, claiming better facilities exist nearby.

County Coun Harding said: "I am disappointed that somebody has made a personal attack because the figures speak for themselves.

"The library has 250 active members and has 700 visitors in a year which is around 14 visitors a week.

"It's all very well people coming forward and signing petitions to save something they haven't used. It's sad because I love books and libraries and I have much regret but I want to see us expand the libraries at Rawtenstall and Bacup to make them more accessible to people.

"As for Crawshawbooth Library, it opens for far fewer hours and the cost ratio between usage and costs are obviously different so it's not the same comparison."

Waterfoot Library is one of nine set to close across the county as a cost cutting move. They include Church; Eaves Lane, Chorley; Ightenhill, Burnley, and Wheatley Lane, Fence.

Members had claimed they needed £657million to maintain council services after April.

Once Government grants have been deducted, that represents a council tax increase of 8.8per cent.

The closures will be discussed at Lancashire County Council's Cabinet meeting on Thursday.