HUNDREDS of angry residents are queuing up to sign a petition to save three well-used libraries.

Caton, Hest Bank and Warton libraries have all been earmarked for the chop by Lancashire County Council as part of a new round of cuts.

But residents and local councillors alike are determined to fight tooth and nail to save the rural services.

Petition forms have appeared in shops in all of the villages this week.

And Caton's Cllr Pat Quinton says: "When I first heard about the proposed closures last week I was horrified. It is yet another blow from a county council which is supposed to be a beacon for rural areas.

"There has been no consultation locally and even the city council was not aware of this."

Mrs Quinton says the library at Caton is only open 10 hours each week and is well used.

"There are always a number of people in there and they tend to be the ones who would not be able to travel to another library, such as the elderly and people with children.

"The county says that there is a library within two miles of the ones they are closing but it is not that simple.

"It is suggesting people from Caton use the library at Halton but it is impossible to get there by bus except on a Sunday when the library is not open."

She goes on: "Being a rural area, the bus service is by no means ideal to start with and this is just another case of vital services being taken away. It needs to change."

Lancaster and Wyre MP Ben Wallace has also hit out at county council plans, saying: "The county has got a brass neck for claiming that the libraries need to close because it is hard up."

He points out that in the same month as it has announced plans to cut its services, the county revealed that it shelled out £4 million on employing external consultants in the last year double the amount spent in the previous 12 months.

"This money should have been used to safeguard libraries and other front line services. Withdrawing this service will also discourage adults and children from reading and limit IT access to those who need it most," he says.

A decision about the libraries will be made on February 16.