COLCHESTER could have one of the worst library ratios in the country if controversial plans go ahead, campaigners have warned.

The town is already behind the national average with the rate of libraries to people being one per 28,000 - the average is 22,000.

According to campaigners Save Our Libraries Essex, should Essex County Council’s plans to shut a third of its libraries be implemented, Colchester would have only a single council-run library per 95,000 residents.

The groups says this should be a wake-up call for politicians.

Katy Vargas, spokesman for the Colchester branch of Sole, said: “Until now attention has focused on the fact 60 per cent of our county’s libraries could be lost, including five of Colchester’s seven libraries.

“But now we can see from the council’s own figures just how under-resourced that would leave us in comparison to other areas.

“If the council’s preferred policy option is implemented, not only would Essex have just half as many libraries per person as the national average, Colchester in particular would be more than four-times worse off than the current national average.”

The figures come from the council’s own strategy document and needs assessment, which outlines the expected consequences of the plans.

As it stands, Essex has one library for every 19,404 people and one council-run library per 17,325. But this could drop to one library per 48,510, based on 2016/17 population figures.

This would make Essex’s ratio twice as bad as the worst county, Hampshire.

Potentially, in Colchester, there would only be a library in the town centre and Greenstead despite a projected population growth of 42,000 residents by 2035.

Ms Vargas said: “These figures should be a wake-up call for all representatives in Colchester of the need to stand up and fight against the closures.

“Colchester cannot be allowed to be left behind as the poor neighbour, not just in Essex but the whole country, when it comes to library provision.

“Unless all our local representatives stand up and unambiguously oppose the county council’s plans, we face sleepwalking towards a severe and chronic lack of library services.”

Save Our Libraries Essex is holding a public meeting at Quakers Friends Meeting House in Rainsford Road, Chelmsford at 7.30pm on Thursday.