Book lovers are angry at library managers who sent skip loads of old stock to the tip.

A huge pile of books destined for the dump were rescued by a builder working next to the new Brighton library.

When he saw a skip full of reading matter he was so horrified he took them to a nearby charity shop in several loads.

More than 25,000 new books have been bought ready for the March 3 opening of the £24 million Private Finance Initiative library in the heart of the North Laine.

With only limited space and a requirement to rotate and replenish stock, all libraries are forced to get rid of books periodically.

But there is anger the books were not offered for purchase to the public or second-hand book dealers, or given to charity.

Christopher Hawtree, chair of Friends of Hove Library, said he was appalled when he saw good quality ex-library books in his local Oxfam.

Mr Hawtree, of Westbourne Gardens, Hove, said: "It is utterly wrong of them to get rid of perfectly good books.

"It is one of the duties of public libraries to keep copies of books that are no longer in print so people can continue to have access to them."

"The people in charge seem to want the libraries to look like bookshops, with all shiny new books and fancy gadgets.

"Valuable tradition and stock is being sacrificed because of this obsession with being libraries of the future'."

Hove Library was saved from closure last March and is currently undergoing £350,000 worth of renovations to improve disabled access.

Averil Older, Brighton and Hove City Conservative councillor for central Hove, said she feared for the fate of Hove's stock after hearing what had happened at Brighton.

Coun Older, who sits on the council committee which oversees library services, said: "I know there will be less space for books at Hove once the disabled toilet is created.

"I sincerely hope none of Hove's stock gets thrown away.

"If they have to get rid of books they should be offered to the public.

"They should be kept in storage until an auction or book sale can be arranged.

"To think of them all being chucked like that is terrible."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council's library services department said: "All library services throw away old books otherwise there would be no space for new ones and libraries would be full of dirty old paperbacks.

"We hold book sales of redundant stock but the ones nobody has shown interest in either borrowing or buying are thrown away.

"But if people don't want them for free they're not likely to want to buy them in a charity shop."

Friends of Hove Library also criticised plans to change the layout at the historic Carnegie Building as part of new developments.