Waveney MP Peter Aldous had an unwelcome surprise on Saturday as he was confronted by more than a dozen protesters complaining he was snubbing them over public sector cuts.

As Mr Aldous turned up for his surgery at the library in Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft, he was meet by a demonstration organised by Lowestoft Coalition Against The Cuts.

The anti-cuts group members are angry with the Conservative MP as they claim he cancelled a public meeting with them to discuss swingeing public sector cuts.

It is also claimed he appears shy about going on record with his views on the government and council job and services cull.

One of the services threatened with closure is Oulton Broad library which is on a Suffolk County Council hit list of libraries that may be forced to close their doors.

As Mr Aldous attended his surgery at the Bridge Road library he was met with placards that accused him of being a coward and demanding the library be saved.

There were also chants of 'No if no buts, no public sector cuts'.

Cate Clarke, from the cuts protest group, said: 'We are still trying to persuade Peter Aldous that he should hold a public meeting to have a debate about the cuts.

'The cuts are beginning to kick in now and I think he is scared to came face to face with the local population and say what he thinks of the cuts.'

Pauline Rainton from the save Oulton Broad library group attended Saturday's demonstration.

She has invited Mr Aldous to attend a public meeting next month at the library which will discuss ways of how the community can try and keep it open.

She said: 'This library is a focal point for the community and offers so much.

'The reason we are here today is to make it clear to the county council there is large demand for it.

'I have invited Mr Aldous to a public meeting and I think that as we live in a democracy MPs should be publicly held accountable.'

In March Mr Aldous had been asked to hold a public meeting with the cuts group but it was held behind closed doors.

He refuted claims from the protesters that he appeared shy in public and was unwilling to defend his policies in a public forum.

Mr Aldous said Saturday's Oulton Broad surgery was an example of how he was touring his constituency so he could pass on the views of his constituents to the government and council departments responsible for implementing the job and service cuts.

Describing the nature of the protest Mr Aldous said: 'When you put yourself up as an MP you have to take whatever is thrown at you.'