Rent dispute closes library

BAILIFFS locked out staff and customers of Peacehaven Library on Monday following claims of unpaid rent.

People visiting the library were greeted with a hand-written sign saying it was closed due to 'technical difficulties . By Tuesday it had been replaced with another saying it was closed due to circumstances beyond its control.

The library s landlord took the drastic action to change the locks after it failed to receive rent paid by East Sussex County Council for the Meridian Centre unit.

However, a county council spokesman stressed it had no outstanding debts with its landlord and blamed the situation on an 'administrative error in the transfer of funds .

He said: 'As far as we are aware all bills have been paid. The county council has no outstanding debts. The rent has been forwarded to let-

ting agents and should have been forwarded to the landlord. We have not received any warnings. We are as surprised as anyone.

'This was totally out of the blue, the first we knew was when our security people were alerted because the intruder alarm went off. They arrived at the building to find the bailiffs.

He added: ' We are very disappointed. We do not want a situation where our customers cannot gain access to a locked library. We are hoping it will be open by Monday.

Leader of Peacehaven Town Council Tony Howard was furious townsfolk had been barred from their library. He laid the blame at East Sussex County Council s door.

'It s a disgrace. The county council is running a business which turns over 600 million of chargepayers money a year but it cannot even keep a small library in a town like Peacehaven open.

While the Peacehaven Library is closed staff have been transferred to Seaford and Newhaven.

There will be no fines payable on books which were due to be returned this week.