South Ham library is closing, Chineham library isn't.

South Ham is a deprived area and votes Labour, Chineham isn't a deprived area and votes Tory. What does that tell you? Which area has the greater need?

Now far be it from me to suggest that some political jiggery pokery is going on here, but it does rather look like the way people vote has had some influence on the outcome.

I have loaned books from all the libraries in the town, I don't think any of them should shut.

They do provide another spoke in the wheel of education, and are a valuable extra aid for children, improving their reading and writing.

Surely we should help those in the greatest need, such as the children of South Ham, above those in better circumstances.

If it is a straight choice between Chineham and South Ham, then South Ham should be the library to stay open because it is the more deprived area.

But to me it seems that Chineham library is staying open, not because its citizens are in greater need than South Ham's, but because they vote Tory and the county council is Conservative. I could be wrong, but that's how it looks to me.

Brian Simmonds, Belmont Heights, Hatch Warren