THE council has halved the cost of loaning CDs from its libraries to encourage residents to use the service more.

As part of a special promotion that runs until the end of April, it now costs 50p to borrow a record from the borough's libraries, or £1 for a double-disc set.

The £1 reservation fee has also been abolished for the same timespan.

Nick Dobson, Redbridge Council’s Principal Librarian, said, “We've added hundreds of new titles to our already-extensive music CD library, so there’s even more choice for library members".

The scheme is part of several music events that form part of Redbridge’s Book and Media Festival that takes place between April 16 and May 3.