Blackadder actor brands Bristol councillors 'stupid' over library cuts

Blackadder actor Tony Robinson has expressed his anger at Bristol councillors over their plans to close 17 of the city's libraries, calling them "stupid bastards" on social media.

More than half of Bristol’s libraries are slated for closure in a bid to make £4.7m worth of savings, with the overall number set to be slashed from 27 to 10. Meanwhile, the opening hours of the remaining libraries will be reduced.

Robinson, a patron of a literacy charity Read for Good,

: "Would stop closing Bristol’s libraries, you stupid bastards do [sic]?"

However, Bristol East MP, Kerry McCarthy defended the councillors, saying: "Bristol Council isn’t doing any of this out of choice. There is no money. And the councillors/Mayor are really decent people being put in an almost impossible situation. None of them deserve to be called ‘bastards’.”

Previously Bristol mayor Marvin Rees has admitted that the £4.7m worth of cuts will have a “noticeable impact” on local services and people.

According to the Bristol Post, the city's library services were given a stay of execution in November when Rees announced the authority had won government funding for a new review.

However, fresh controversy emerged after Liberal Democrat and Green groups claimed the council wass using the independent investigation as a smoke-screen for pushing ahead with its original plan to cut 17 libraries.

The review will conclude in the spring and a decision on the fate of the city’s library service is expected shortly after.