CAMPAIGNERS fighting to prevent the closure of York Minster library today urged the Archbishop of York to intervene to save it.

They presented Dr David Hope with a petition signed by more than 2,300 people, and delivered an open letter asking him to "convey their concerns" about the proposed closure to the Dean and Chapter.

Among those who have signed the petition is York-born former Health Secretary Frank Dobson, who visited the library as a child while he was at Archbishop Holgate's School. He called in at the Evening Press's offices yesterday to add his name to the document.

"It just seems monstrous," he said. "If you can keep something for 500 or 600 years you don't want to let a temporary financial embarrassment bring it all to an end." The open letter to the Archbishop called on him as an "independent, but interested party" to convey campaigners' concerns to the Dean and Chapter. It claimed closure of the Minster library would be in breach of Minster statutes, and argued the break-up of the library collection would be a "flagrant breach of trust". The presentation came before a meeting tonight of the Archbishop's council, at which Frank Harris, a leading adviser to Dr Hope, plans to speak strongly against closure.

Dr Hope said he would read the petitioners' letter carefully and would need to reflect on their point of view.

Updated: 11:41 Thursday, June 12, 2003