SIX parish councils have offered to help top up opening hours at their local libraries.

Opening hours at libraries across Dorset were slashed earlier this year as part of a package of measures to keep 13 threatened libraries open.

The hours were reduced in all 34 Dorset libraries including at the main town libraries in Dorchester and Weymouth and the threatened community libraries.

But as part of the move parish councils and other community groups were encouraged to top up hours at their local library and join in with the day-to-day running of the establishments.

Now a meeting of Dorset County Council's community overview committee has heard that six parish councils have shown an interest in topping up opening hours of their libraries, but 12 have said they were not interested.

The meeting was told that of the six interested in topping up the hours two have said yes and the remaining four are still considering their options.

Parishes with community libraries can expect to pay between £1,013 and £1,172 for one extra hour a week for a year.

The figures were revealed as members of the committee considered measures to help meet a shortfall in the library budget.

Other proposals included charging the public to use PCs - under the proposals, which will now be considered by council's cabinet people will be able to use computers for 30 minutes a day for free with a levy of £1 for every further half hour. Children and young people up to 18 and those with a student card will be able to use the computers for two hours a day for free as now.

The committee also agreed to set up a panel to look at the mobile library service.