Test Valley residents are less likely to have a nearby library than almost anywhere in England and Wales, new figures show.

A charity for public libraries has called for improved funding for local councils to help provide for their communities.

Analysis from the Office for National Statistics shows just 16 per cent of Test Valley residents had a library within a 15-minute walk of their home – one of the lowest proportions in the country.

Despite this, 47 per cent were within half an hour of a library, but 81 per cent of residents could reach one within an hour's walk.

The ONS' figures show Test Valley had fewer than five open libraries as of August.

Across England and Wales, people in rural areas less often had a library within 15 minutes of them, although those living in some towns are also missing out.

Londoners are far more likely to have a nearby library than other regions – nine out of the top 10 areas were in the capital. By comparison, half of the bottom 10 were in the West Midlands, while four were in the South East.

A recent investigation by the BBC found more than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or been handed to volunteer groups since 2018, and 2,000 jobs lost.