ELDERLY and housebound people in villages near Burnham and Highbridge could be denied access to books if their mobile library is taken away.

Somerset County Council is looking to remove four of its six book buses, which also lend DVDs, CDs, and audio books, in a moneysaving move.

One of those under threat serves people who live in Wedmore, Cocklake, Blackford, Mark Causeway, and East Huntspill every Thursday.

Villagers turned out in their numbers last week with local MP Tessa Munt to protest against the plans.

Irene Weedon, aged 82, of Wedmore, said: “I have impaired vision and use the mobile library for audio books so I would be really upset and cross to lose it.

“I have lived here 25 years and have always used the facility in that time as have many, many others in Wedmore and surrounding villages.

“The bus also visits elderly and housebound people in their homes who want to borrow books and they would be really badly hit.”

Burnham and Highbridge MP Tessa Munt said: “I would have thought the county council would definitely keep mobile libraries because they can get to isolated places where there is no library.

“Especially as they are cutting the number of physical libraries bus services are being cut - there is even more need for these mobile ones for people who don't have transport.”

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “We will soon be undertaking a review of the current mobile routes and stops to decide how best to target the remaining mobiles and how often they will visit communities.”

WILL you be affected if mobile libraries are cut? Have YOUR SAY here, e-mail newsdesk@burnhamnews.co.uk, or call us on 01278-727962.