Wychavon residents are less likely to have a nearby library than almost anywhere in England and Wales, new figures show.

Analysis from the Office for National Statistics shows just 17 per cent of Wychavon residents had a library within a 15-minute walk of their home – one of the lowest proportions in the country.

Even more concerningly, 28 per cent of residents don't have access to a library within an hour's walk.

There are currently four libraries operating in Wychavon: Broadway, Droitwich, Evesham and Pershore, however three of the libraries operate under the new 'Libraries Unlocked' scheme which has cut staffing hours in favour of opening with visitors being unsupervised.

A recent investigation by the BBC found more than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or been handed to volunteer groups since 2018, and 2,000 jobs lost.

Cllr Rob Adams, executive board member for stronger communities, culture and sport on Wychavon District Council, said: "Libraries are vital assets that don't just provide access to knowledge and inspiration, but an opportunity for connection as well.

"But they are expensive to maintain and so I fully understand why Worcestershire County Council base them in the areas where most people live to get maximum value for money. 

"So, given the rural nature of the district, the statistics aren't a huge surprise.

Across England and Wales, people in rural areas less often had a library within 15 minutes of them, although those living in some towns are also missing out.

Half of the bottom 10 locations for library access were in the West Midlands.

Cllr Karen May, cabinet member for communities, said: "Worcestershire County Council delivers a comprehensive library service across 21 libraries, 2 library link points, a mobile library service a library service at home and 24/7 access to an online library of eBooks, audiobooks, newspapers and magazines."

Cllr Adams added: "What the official data doesn't show is all the other ways people can access books including the volunteer run, county council funded, mobile library service which visits many villages across our district on a regular basis. 

"We also have several other community-led book lending schemes in converted telephone kiosks, churches and other community facilities."