LIBRARY campaigners were today demanding that Tory plans to slash opening hours are scrapped amid a split in the city council's Cabinet.

Less than a year after Liberal Democrat closure plans were defeated with some celebrity support, campaigners are now fighting a Conservative proposal to cut hours at five libraries by an average of 9.5 hours.

Cobbett Road library campaigners handed a petition containing hundreds of names to the city council's library boss Councillor John Hannides, urging him to rethink his budget plan.

The library is already open for just four days a week.

"If they cut the hours people won't have confidence about when it's open, the use will drop and they will then be able to say it's not used very much and close it," said campaigner Rachel Hickman.

Tory ward councillors Peter Baillie and Phil Williams, who campaigned to save the library, said they were again backing library users and had urged Cabinet colleague Cllr Hannides to find a solution.

Burgess Road, Woolston, Thornhill and Weston libraries are also earmarked for cuts in opening hours to save £65,000 as part of a £10m hit list to balance a £166m budget.