ALAN BENNETT has championed the "indispensable" role of publicly funded libraries as a vital community service.

The author, who has previously likened library closures to "child abuse," told the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday: "Libraries, like hospitals, like public transport, should come out of the rates. They are, or should be, a community service."

Nearly 500 libraries have closed across Britain since 2010, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, but campaigners suggest the figure goes above 800.