A CAMPAIGNER is calling on Tendring councillors to consider taking over running libraries if County Hall pushes ahead with cutbacks.

Holly Turner, who launched the Save Manningtree Library protest group, has written to Tendring and Essex County councillor for Manningtree, Carlo Guglielmi.

As well as urging Mr Guglielmi to stand against the bid to reduce services and see some libraries run by volunteers or closed, Ms Turner has also come up with a back-up plea. She said: “I am now hoping that you will call upon the Cabinet to reverse the decision to close our libraries.

“Failing that, I insist that you and your Tendring Council colleagues take on the libraries as opposed to community groups and parish councils.

“I will also be emailing councillors Val Guglielmi and Alan Coley to ask for assurance that if their Conservative colleagues at Essex County Council force the planned closure upon us, then Tendring Council will step up and take over.”

Mum-of-two Holly says she is concerned about the idea of people volunteering to run community libraries.

She added: “This is an exploitation of the volunteer and a threat to someone’s livelihood. Public library services should be sufficiently resourced, and professionally staffed.”

Celebrities including children’s author and comedian David Williams, children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson, and comedian and novelist David Baddiel have all publicly thrown their weight behind the campaign to Save Essex Libraries.

Mr Guglielmi said he has invited Ms Turner to work with him on future plans for Manningtree Library and his offer to her still stands.

He said: “To ask the district council to take over libraries is wrong. We want to set up a trust to retain the service and keep it sustainable if efforts to get Manningtree moved from tier three to tier two are unsuccessful.”