I AM saddened and appalled by Councillor Beverly Davies referring to the book-raid event at Prettygate Library as a "cheap stunt".

This was a grassroots event organised by local people who are passionate about libraries and the importance they play in communities.

As a Prettygate councillor she should be supporting their aims, which are to keep the library open.

She also stated staff were inconvenienced by the number of people coming in.

However, Councillor Sue Barker at Essex County Council claims she has seen staff standing around with nothing to do.

Surely this was not only good for staff to stay busy but also to improve the usage of the library.

I for one was astounded to see so many people so passionate about our libraries and so many children loaning a substantial amount of books at a time when fewer people are reading.

The consultation itself is seriously flawed, not taking into account that Prettygate is the second-highest used library in the town and putting all the emphasis on the location, while ignoring the other important services a library offers.

The consultation does not offer people a chance to say what would make them use the library more or to even say you are against any closures.

Rather than Cllr Davies denigrating the actions of those who want to save their library, I suggest she works with us and scrutinises the consultation process and the decision made by the Tories and her ward colleague at County Hall.

Lee Scordis

Labour county councillor for Abbey Division

Haddon Park, Colchester