Fears over safety of lone librarians

Many rural libraries are staffed by one person

The safety of librarians working alone in Cumbria is to be discussed by county councillors.

The review has been prompted by "serious incidents" in which the vulnerability of staff has been highlighted.

A total of 32 libraries in Cumbria are single staffed and a further eight libraries and seven vans are usually staffed by just one person.

But following several incidents involving staff working alone, the learning and recreation scrutiny panel at Cumbria County Council has been asked to consider how safety can be improved.

Staff have reported that the unruly behaviour of some members of the public can be intimidating and on occasion threatening.

The council said it is looking at developing a lone-working policy.

It has also asked the government to pay for alarms and CCTV cameras to help improve security.