A 1,200-name petition objecting to a plan to turn part of Bromyard's leisure centre into a library has been presented to Herefordshire Council.

It was handed to council leader Terry James by former town clerk Daphne Hughes at a meeting of the Bromyard District Liaison Group.

Around 300 residents attended the meeting and were unanimous in arguing that the Clive Richards Function Suite should not be used as a library.

The suggestion was made by Hereford Council as the present library is in a poor state of repair and does not meet current requirements for disabled access.

Officers said the suite could still be used for functions and at other times as a library with the books on trolleys.

However, 23 people took the microphone at the meeting to demand that the suite should remain dedicated to functions. It was built in 1990 with the help of local fundraising and a £50,000 donation from benefactor Clive Richards.

Town councillor John Wilkins said: "Clive Richards didn't give that money for a library, he gave it for Bromyard to have a decent room for functions."

The suite is used regularly by a variety of clubs for fundraising and activities as well as dances, weddings, and parties. One of the strongest arguments was that the suite's sprung maple floor could be harmed by the castors on the book trolleys and would cost over £10,000 to replace.

Town councillor Martin Ganderton said: "We should not have a library full of books and computers lying around when there are functions on. This needs a lot more study."

Herefordshire councillor Chris Grover said one of the reasons why the function room was considered suitable for a library was so that the whole of the leisure centre could become a "one-stop shop" for Bromyard.

"The other question is of course money," he added.

Coun Guy Woodford, who chaired the meeting, said: "This issue needs to go back to the drawing board and that is what I will recommend."