David Walliams books removed from Telford and Wrekin libraries amid harassment allegations
Shropshire Council said it is waiting for further guidance
Telford & Wrekin Council has decided to remove all David Walliams books and audio books from its libraries following allegations he sexually harassed girls and young women.
Children's author and TV star Walliams, who has been dropped by his publisher HarperCollins, has denied the allegations against him.
A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that, following recent media coverage and allegations published in the press, we have taken the decision to remove all David Walliams books and audio books from our library catalogues.”
The Press Association has reported that education leaders nationally are seeking guidance from the Government on whether books written by Walliams, which include Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny and Ratburger, should be removed from school libraries.
A spokesperson for Shropshire Council said it was waiting for “further guidance”.
"We are awaiting further guidance from the Department for Education. It is the responsibility of individual schools and trusts to make a decision in relation to their school library book stock.
"We understand that this is a contentious issue, and people will have their own views. However, Shropshire Council’s library service follows national and professional guidelines: this guidance states that books should remain available unless their content is illegal.
"Collections are refreshed to reflect demand. We understand demand for Walliams's books has fallen significantly in recent years, so we expect fewer copies in circulation as newer, more popular titles replace them, particularly now he is without a publisher."
It added that its guidelines said: “Access should not be restricted on any grounds except that of the law. If publicly available material has not incurred legal penalties then it should not be excluded.”