TEARS were shed for the closure of a village library.

Some 75 people turned out to bid a fond farewell to New Mill Library – a place the locals have used for years.

The closure will save Kirklees Council £41,000-a-year.

Protester Jason McCartney said: “We want books, not butts.

“If the council can find £25,000 for water butts, can’t they find the money to keep the library open?”

The Conservative candidate for Colne Valley joined locals at the Holmfirth Road building to say goodbye to staff.

He said: “There were a lot of tears and it was a very emotional day.

“It is all just incredibly disappointing and at a time when politicians should be engaging with people.

“People feel as though they haven’t got a voice and they are not being listened to.”

Mr McCartney said he has come up with lots of suggestions to still try to keep the library.

He said: “The people that have made the decision haven’t even been out to see us. If they had seen the people crammed into the library this lunchtime they would have seen how important it is to them.

“We’re still working behind the scenes and we think we’ve identified a little pot of money which could tide us over until the next budget in May.

“The money would come from transferring money from the capital budget to the revenue budget.

“We are just pleading with the council leader and the chief executive who I have been emailing.

“Those in positions of responsibility need to make their decisions in the best interests of the people they are there to represent.”

The old Labour/Lib Dem cabinet agreed to the library closure.

A new Labour-run cabinet recently took control of the council and conservative councillor Nigel Patrick, who represents Holme Valley South, asked the new libraries chief Clr Peter McBride to re-open the issue.

Leader of the council Mehboob Khan said: “I must say that I’m very disappointed by the lack of support from the local councillors for keeping this library open.’’

He told the Examiner the decision to close New Mill Library had been made after a long process where all councillors were able to have their say and make representations on behalf of the local people.

He added: “At the council meeting the local councillors in their wisdom decided to vote for a cut in the libraries budget which affected Kirkheaton and New Mill Library.

“Now the Conservative councillors have immediately started campaigning to keep it open.”