Frustration is mounting among a group of volunteers who are still waiting to take over a library that has lost all its paid staff.

Staff from neighbouring libraries have had to be drafted in to provide cover at Ewell Court Library.

Volunteers are standing by to replace the professionals but they cannot start work until library renovations are carried out.

More two years after the controversial plan to run the library with volunteers was approved, a date has still not been set to do the improvement works.

Jackie Forrest, chairman of the Friends of Ewell Court Library, said: "We are still waiting on Surrey County Council to give us some dates for going volunteer-run.

"There are renovations that need doing at the library and that seems to be the hold-up. It’s very frustrating."

She said they agreed to bring in volunteers on the condition that the building, including its kitchen and toilets, were brought up to standard.

She said: "We have been asked to do this volunteer-run service. It's not the ideal situation but we would rather do that than lose the library."

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Jenny Meineck, from the Community Partnered Library Steering Group, said that the last full-time library employee took early retirement in August and bank staff were initially brought in.

Ms Meineck said: "As a group we are worried about how long this process is taking, and on the effect it could have on those who offered to volunteer quite a long time ago now.

"We understand that the use of bank staff has been withdrawn and that now the service is staffed with employees from other public libraries in the area and further afield.

"We are also concerned that Surrey staff will be finding this current period unsettling and a strain on their usual work at their main library."

Lee Godfrey, chairman of Surrey Libraries Action Movement (SLAM), said: "This scheme has been going on since 2010. For almost four years Surrey County Council has not seemed to have got their act together to make it happen.

"In my view it was not a good idea in the first place. Thank heavens for the patience of the volunteers."

A Surrey County Council spokeswoman confirmed all paid library staff have left Ewell Court Library and cover has been brought in from neighbouring libraries including Bourne Hall in Ewell.

She said: "A new lease for Ewell Court House is currently being drawn up with the borough council, and some maintenance and improvement works need to be done so we've agreed with the volunteers that these should be completed before the library becomes community partnered."

She was unable to give a time scale on this or when the improvement work would be undertaken.

In September 2011 there were protests at Ewell Court Library and elsewhere after councillors approved plans to get volunteers to run 10 libraries including Stoneleigh Library.

A council spokeswoman said: "The six community partnered libraries already up and running are proving very successful, with increased opening hours, greater community use of the libraries, friendly and helpful volunteers and a lively and welcoming atmosphere."