A COUNCIL has been accused of taking its councillors for "a whole lot of mugs" after a report on closing libraries was mistakenly included in an agenda.

The Greenwich Council agenda featured an appendix containing what appeared to be proposals to shut libraries at Coldharbour, Charlton, Ferrier and Abbey Wood along with the mobile and school library services.

It also recommended relocating the East Greenwich and Woolwich libraries.

But by the night of the best value review meeting on October 1, in which councillors were due to make recommendations on the library service, the report had been withdrawn.

They were replaced with a note by council leader Councillor Chris Roberts, explaining it was a mistake and that there were no planned closures.

Review team member and Conservative Councillor Dermot Poston said afterwards: "This is extraordinary because here we are looking at what we want to recommend and then being told in an appendix that all these decisions are being taken anyway.

"They're really taking us for a whole lot of mugs.

"If you think about it, it's pretty scandalous.

"It's making a mockery of our democracy."

He said that councillors had previously been assured that reports of potential library closures were wide of the mark.

And secretary of Greenwich Unison Onay Kasab claims library workers who lobbied the council over their fears were assured by their managers there would be no closures.

Mr Kasab said: "When we lobbied the council this year because we had heard of these closures through our members, we were told it was a misunderstanding, that our members had got it wrong."

He added: "We will be fighting these cuts and ask the residents of the borough to join us."

A council spokesman said: "No proposals for library closures were under discussion, and an appendix that was mistakenly included alongside the agenda was withdrawn. This appendix forms no part of any decision-making process.

"The council is committed to its library service and to consulting library users over any changes to the service."