BOOKWORMS in Croydon will feel the effects of the credit crunch as two libraries cut their opening hours to reduce public spending.

Sanderstead library and South Norwood library will be closing for an extra day a week from June 28, as Croydon Council takes action to cope with squeezed budgets.

Last December, the council announced it would be changing the operating hours of some of its 13 libraries in order to save the taxpayers money.

It has been decided that South Norwood library will be closed on Tuesdays and will no longer open late on Fridays. Currently it is closed only on Thursdays during the week.

Sanderstead library, meanwhile, will now be closed on Mondays.

The council said the changes were "inevitable" with money having to be saved.

Sara Bashford, the council's cabinet member for customer services, culture and sport, said: "Although changes were unavoidable, we made it clear from the start that, while saving taxpayers' money was essential, this had to be achieved with only minimal impact on the overall level of access currently enjoyed by regular library users.

"While I understand these changes may be an inconvenience to some users, I believe people fully understand the climate in which we are now operating and will quickly adjust."