A FORMER librarian who was honoured by the Queen for her work has called on people in East Lancashire to fight plans to close five libraries.

Shirley Ellis, 62, of Park Lane, Brierfield, was awarded the MBE in last year's Queen's Birthday Honour's list for her devotion to Lancashire's library service.

But now Wheatley Lane Library, Fence - where she worked for the last 16 years of her career - is one of five earmarked for closure.

Lancashire County Council plans to save £10million by axeing the libraries.

Other libraries under threat include Ightenhill, in Romford Street, Burnley; Waterfoot, Bacup Road, Waterfoot; Church, near Accrington; and Eaves Lane in Chorley.

Mrs Ellis said: "I'm absolutely horrified about it all. It's so unfair.

"Wheatley Lane library is in an area of warden-controlled flats. A lot of elderly people from the flats can just walk across to the library. It's like a drop-in place. If anyone comes in there's always somebody there they know and can come and chat to. It's very well used.

"The thing that annoys me is I've just received the MBE for services for libraries and it really hit me hard that after all that, they're closing the library down."

She has already received several call from residents worried about the closure and is setting up a petition. But she urged people to take a few minutes to write to Lancashire County Council themselves.

She said: "I've had lots of messages of support. The important thing is getting people to put pen to paper and write themselves. A signature is all very well but if people write their feelings on paper that could make a difference."

The forecast closures follow a warning from the county council leader to cabinet members that they must reduce predicted spending plans for this year. The council claimed it needed £657million to maintain services after April - which would create an 8.8per cent council tax rise.

Coun Chris Cheetham, whose adult and community services portfolio covers libraries, said: "This year's budget will be particularly difficult for the council and Cabinet members have been asked to find significant savings to limit any increase in council tax.

"Closing a library is never an easy option but is something I am having to consider due to the level of financial pressure.

"The libraries which may be affected are small and on average only open 14 hours a week, employing a single member of staff.

"Nine libraries are very underused compared with others in the area and have been chosen because they are all within two miles of another service.

"The majority of people who currently use these libraries will have another, better facility nearby.

"As these libraries are only open for a few hours a week a lot of resources are wasted while they are closed and locked.

"The small size of the buildings and lack of facilities also means they are unsuitable for running a modern service.

"There is no question of staff being made redundant. Every effort will be made to offer those affected another job within the library service using the council's redeployment process."

In Waterfoot, residents are also planning a campaign to keep their library open.

Steve Taylor, owner of Steve's Quality Fruiterers in Bacup Road, has started a petition in the fight to prevent the closure of Waterfoot library.

He said: "I am going to fight tooth-and-nail to stop the library from closing.

"To close the library is to take the heart out of Waterfoot. It is one of the busiest libraries going and the librarian has really helped turn it around by proving all kinds of activities from reading clubs for youngsters and for the elderly to putting on interesting exhibitions.

"I am devastated by this news and disgusted at the county councillors. Just before the elections the county council candidates promised to safeguard local amenities and they got in on the back of those promises. We were given assurances that the library wouldn't close in light of the neighbourhood office closing but now they have gone back on their word and it's all about cost cutting.

"The library has been partially responsible for helping my five-year-old son Bradley learn to read. He is above average for his age and that's thanks to all the reading he has been doing at the library.

"Other children in Waterfoot should be given the same opportunities.

"People from Waterfoot don't want to have to travel to Rawtenstall just to get to the library."

A spokesman for the Library Campaign, set up in the 1980s to prevent the closure of libraries by cost-cutting councils, said: "People need to fight closures of libraries.

"We need more libraries, not fewer. Services should be improved, not cut back."