STOCKTON Heath Library issued more books than any other in the town last year according to LiveWire figures.

And the town centre library received the highest number of visitors.

Both libraries now face closure under LiveWire’s plans to ‘modernise’ the service and cut £300,000 from their budget.

The five libraries which issued the most books in the past year, Stockton Heath, central, Penketh and Lymm all face closure to be replaced by lending lockers and a reduced number of books at a new hub in Golden Square.

The figures were collected in March after LiveWire slashed the opening hours of nine libraries across the town in February.

The company has extended a public consultation in which residents can have their say on plans to close nine libraries across the town and replace them with lending lockers and reduced library services in neighbourhood hubs.

Orford Jubilee Hub and Woolston Neighbourhood Hub both have lending libraries but the figures show fewer books were borrowed at these sites than five of the neighbourhood libraries facing closure.

But LiveWire pointed out that both visitor numbers and the number of items issued fell at every standalone library in the town between 2010 and 2016.

Highest number of books issued, 2015 to 2016

1. Stockton Heath, 114,098
2. Central, 80,593
3. Penketh, 78,507
4. Lymm, 66,841
5. Westbrook, 51,971
6. Orford Jubilee Hub, 49,923
7. Woolston Neighbourhood Hub, 46,929
8. Padgate, 45,821
9. Culcheth, 45,159
10. Birchwood, 44,146
11. Burtonwood, 8,735

Highest number of visitors, 2015 to 2016

1. Central, 139,284
2. Orford Jubilee Hub, 126,511
3. Birchwood, 72,801
4. Stockton Heath, 57,631
5. Lymm, 56,962
6. Penketh, 55,953
7. Padgate, 47,869
8. Woolston, 43,757
9. Westbrook, 31,576
10. Culcheth, 23,047
11. Burtonwood, 9,998