Warwickshire County Council intends to start charging for the use of library computers in order to raise around £200,000 a year.

This ‘cut’ is on top of a proposed reduction in library stock of £150,000 to help the authority balance its books during the recession.

But new charges could mean the visually impaired cannot afford to use a service which has, in part, been tailored to their needs.

Ian Foulds, 47, is a regular user of the Pump Room library’s specially adapted computer.

He said: “I can’t believe they are going to start charging for this service, despite the fact that when the government set up the People’s Network to give everyone the chance to use computers and the internet, it was supposed to be free.

“The library service for the visually-impaired is very good. But having made all the adaptations, blind people maybe excluded from using it.”

Mr Foulds, who retired from work after his sight deteriorated, has so far failed in his attempt to find out the level and range of charges and concessions.

He added: “I have asked whether blind people will be charged and have been met with an inadequate response.

“I don’t think this issue is being handled very well. And why are they looking at charging fees to people who have already paid council tax?”

Libraries are just one service to be hit by a raft of county council cuts intended to make savings of up to £14.4 million in the next 12 months from April.

The authority’s head of libraries Ayub Khan said: "We fully appreciate the rationale for maintaining an exemption for those who are blind or partially sighted and this point has been made by a number of people in the consultation process.

"The decision will be ultimately made by our elected members, when we report to cabinet in May.

“We expect some concessions and/or exemptions for groups within the community, such as those registered blind and partially sighted, to be included, but this is yet to be agreed.”

l Consultation on the comptuer service cuts has now ended. The county council received more than 3,000 responses. A report on the consultation will be published for comment on April 28.