WIRRAL council has voted in favour of culture secretary Andy Burnham’s inquiry into its library closure plan.

During a heated meeting at Wallasey Town Hall on Monday night, the Labour and Liberal Democrats supported an amended Conservative notice of motion which welcomed the minister’s intervention on the controversial programme of cuts, approved as part of the council’s strategic asset review in January.

Mr Burnham stepped in on April 3 to order an eleventh hour rethink on the closures, some of which were due to take place the following day. They have now been suspended pending the inquiry’s completion.

During the meeting, which was adjourned for 10 minutes because of disruption from the public gallery, council leader Steve Foulkes said: "I welcome the opportunity for an inquiry and await a positive outcome from this. Wirral is changing and the world outside is changing.

“It's very, very difficult to sell a vision like this in difficult times. We want to provide a vibrant library service for the 21st century."

Conservative group leader Geoff Green said: “Clearly, the secretary of state has pointed out that something is wrong in Wirral, because you have sought to decimate Wirral's library service."

Alec McFadden, president of Merseyside TUC, said the fight to save libraries was far from over, adding: “Labour and the Lib Dems seem hellbent on wrecking Wirral’s library culture.”