Barnet's Conservative MPs have sided with the borough council's Labour opposition in a dispute over the future of libraries - just months before a General Election.

The ruling Conservative group in Barnet caused uproar with a consultation proposing radical changes to the way libraries are run.

The council wants to save £2.85m, and options presented to the public include making libraries smaller, leaving them unstaffed by making greater use or volunteers or closing some altogether.

Barnet Labour councillors say libraries should not be shut and cuts should be made elsewhere.

But in the last week, Matthew Offord for Hendon, Theresa Villiers for Chipping Barnet and Mike Freer for Finchley have all broken with the borough's Tories and opposed closing libraries.

All three are up for re-election on May 7.

The situation has effectively created a civil war between Barnet Council’s Conservative group and its three MPs with just two months to go before voters head to the polls.

But Mr Offord denied he was supporting libraries only to win voters' support.

He said: “It’s not an election stunt because the libraries are not in the remit of an MP. They are for local authorities.

“For anyone to campaign and seek to make the General Election a referendum on the library services is misguided and wrong because that has nothing to do with it.

“But my view as an MP is I certainly have a view on the library service and I certainly expressed it when I was in the Barnet cabinet.”

Mr Freer said his position has been “consistent” and that he is dedicated to saving libraries.

In a statement on social networking site Facebook, he wrote: “I've responded to any of my constituents who have contacted me. My position has been consistent.

“Firstly I'm not going to try and make promises I can't keep. Libraries are run by the council and as MP, I can argue and represent views.

“That has been done and is being done. What I won't do is hijack a campaign for my political advantage. I have said from the outset, the communities of East Finchley & Childs Hill must not be left without a library.

“What the London Borough of Barnet consultation lacks is a conversation with non-users. These are key. If we don’t find out why the service isn’t attracting them it won’t gain new users.”

Theresa Villiers was not available for comment.