Anger over mobile library

FURIOUS villagers are urging East Sussex County Council to reconsider a decision to withdraw its mobile library service.

The Kingston residents say the service is much appreciated and is used regularly, particularly by the elderly who can't get into Lewes very often.

When former parish councillor Joy Thomas was told that the service had been suddenly withdrawn, to the consternation of users, she wrote to the council.

The reply letter said: 'Priority will be given to stops in rural areas where there is little or no public transport. It is recommended by public library standards that all households should be within two miles of a public library facility. It has been decided to discontinue to stop at Kingston as you fall within the the two-mile limit.'

But an angry Mrs Thomas told the Express: 'We have run a play reading group at Kingston for 20 years using books provided by the mobile library.

'The failure of this facility to appear necessitated the cancellation of our meeting in April and it is not clear if alternative arrangements can be made.

'The reasons given for the withdrawal of the service are flawed.

'How can they maintain that Kingston is not a rural area and that Church Lane is not more than two miles away from a library facility? And that part of the village is only served by one daily bus.

'We are very upset at the demise of this service as we satisfy all the conditions for having it. Suggestions on the strategies we might use to get the council to reverse its decision would be welcome.'