QUIET lunch times and evenings at Bidford Library have prompted Warwickshire County Council to rethink the opening hours.

Since the library opened in September 2002, it has received numerous requests to open earlier in the morning, so the opening hours are now being reviewed.

There are leaflets in the library with the new proposed hours, asking for the public to specify if they prefer the present hours or the proposed ones.

The new proposals are for the library to close at 7pm on Tuesdays and Fridays instead of 8pm, as the evenings are very quiet after 7pm.

The council is considering closing the library in the lunch hour, between 1pm to 2pm, on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

The original idea for lunchtime opening was for school children to use the facility but now pupils have to remain on school property all day, so can't use the library.

It's suggested the library opens at 9am on Mondays and Tuesdays, instead of noon, and Friday's at 9am instead of 10am.

Councillor Peter Barnes said: "We originally asked the public what they would like, and we got the hours from what the public wanted.

"The library has been highly popular since it opened in September, however we've noticed it's very quiet after 7pm, and during lunch times.

"We've found out that not everybody wants to use the library exactly when they said. A lot of people appear to want to go in when they take their children to school. It's a wonderful asset to the village and I think the proposed new opening hours is a step forward."