Library doors remained closed across a county at the weekend as staff staged a threatened strike.

All 38 Durham County Council-run libraries were unable to open due to day-long action by staff members in the public service union Unison.

They voted 55-45 per cent to repeat a strike they staged on the Saturday of the last Bank Holiday weekend, on May 29.

It is part of a lingering dispute between the union and the county council over extended library opening times.

While several aspects of the new roster have been agreed, the sticking point has been working on the Saturday of the Easter, Spring and August Bank Holidays.

Library-users were met by locked doors carrying 'closed' notices and a message of apology from the county council's drector of culture and leisure, Patrck Conway, on Saturday.

He said the council is "committed" to opening libraries on these Saturdays and at times more preferable to the public.

"People now expect their library to open when they want to use it, in the evenng and at weekends, in the same way that we expect museums, other leisure facilities and shops to be open when we want to use them.

"Library users are at pains to tell us that they want their library to be available outside office hours and, if we are asked to open at 8am, or until 9pm, we must consider how that can be achieved.

"We have been working towards achievng an agreement with out staff, who currently work every other Saturday, for opening on the Saturdays of the May and August Bank Holiday weekends.

"Our intention is to continue to work towards reaching an agreement with staff about extending library opening hours and we apologise to library users who are inconvenienced by ths staff action."

Unison regional officer Howard Pink said the dispute revolved around staff fears over the effect on working hours and "the work-life balance".

"Staff have accepted some changes, but the extra Bank Holiday weekend Saturdays remain a major stumbling block."

But he added that he hopes talks can be resumed wth the council to try to resolve the issue, to prevent, "a long series" of one day strikes.