A FRESH package of cuts was last night passed by Sefton councillors as they began their task of filling a £38m budget black hole.

The cash-strapped council endorsed savings of £4.1m which will affect some of the borough’s most vulnerable.

The cuts included scrapping free internet access at Sefton’s libraries, culling funding packages for children in care and reducing the budget of the environmental health department.

Maintenance and repair at Sefton’s eight sports centres will be scaled back and support for breastfeeding mothers reduced.

The cuts were last night described as the “least controversial” of £25m of potential savings options put forward by the council for consultation in its stark 191-page dossier.

Labour council leader Peter Dowd said: “This £4.1m is part of £20.5m we must save this year and the sooner we make these savings the better.

“The substantive part of our proposals will not be approved before they have gone out for very detailed public consultation.”

The report before councillors told of the risks of denying free internet access at libraries, given that 30% of households do not have access.

The council intends to introduce a tiered system of charging 50p per half hour after an initial free 30 minutes. Concessions could apply to the unemployed and elderly.

Just 34 of 153 local authorities currently charge for the service, including five in the North West.

The report warned: “People wishing to make job applications, study or research for longer periods may not be able to afford the charge.”

Care packages for children looked after by the council or fostered will be cut by 3.3% next year, rising to 6.6% in 2013. The council hopes to do this by commissioning services more efficiently.

But it concedes the action could lead to an “increased risk to young people in the community”.

The council, which passed cuts of £44m this financial year, must save £20m by April and £18m in 2013.

Lib Dem leader Tony Robertson said the council was facing a significant challenge and pledged cross-party support.

He said: “We will scrutinise the proposals accordingly and raise objections as and when but we will not disagree for the sake of it.”

Other cuts options out to public consultation including disposing of Southport Theatre, culling the tourism service and reducing street lighting.