WIRRAL West Labour MP Stephen Hesford, who has long campaigned against the local council library closure programme, tonight welcomed news that the plan has been shelved.

Mr Hesford - who had led a delegation of fellow Wirral MPs to meet with Town Hall executives last November to discuss the closures - then compiled a dossier of evidence which he felt gave a persuasive argument as to why Wirral Council's controversial "strategic asset review" was fundamentally flawed.

He first presented that to the local government watchdog, the Ombudsman, but when her inquiry was suspended following a Government decision to hold a local review, handed it to the new inquiry chairman, inspector Sue Charteris.

Responding to the council's remarkable U-turn tonight (see related links below), Mr Hesford told the Globe: "This is stunning news which is really beyond belief.

"If it turns out that the library closure plan has been abandoned it'll be extremely welcome news to my constituents.

"But my only question to ask is, why it took so long for the local Labour party to drop it?"