ADULT services and libraries are among those that could be affected under plans to save more than £8m from Worcestershire County Council's budget.

The council has admitted for the first time it is not sure exactly how services, and the people who use them, will fare after the cuts.

At this week's overview and scrutiny meeting council leader George Lord and chief executive, Rob Sykes, said social care in particular was a major concern.

Mr Sykes said: "The next year is going to be very challenging. We think social care will be deliverable, but with great difficulties. People could be affected. We will look at who is receiving the the service, and it could be that some do not fit the criteria now. This is not a comfortable position to be in."

It was also revealed that library services would come under the cosh.

An initial 4.5 jobs are to go and while the council said it did not have a detailed plan yet, it did not deny that this could eventually result in some closures. The local authority revealed last month that it is looking to make £8m savings in 2007-08 as part of £18m worth of cut-backs in the next three years. About 200 jobs are expected to go.

Other services that will change include in-house benefits advice, outdoor education centres in Malvern and Llanrug, near Caernarfon, north Wales - the council reiterated that these would close unless someone could be found to take them over - and environmental services.

Mr Sykes added: "These were the best proposals we could put forward. It is going to be a difficult year because you have increasing demands, particularly with elderly services, which we are concerned about but for which we do hope we will find some more money.

"We are trying to take the costs out of management rather than front line but the details will not be known until later in November."

The leader and chief executive were answering questions put to them by the authority's overview and scrutiny steering committee.

The group, consisting of county councillors themselves, had earlier queried whether the aims could be made a reality in time for February, when the final decision on the budget is to be made.

Coun John Buckley, chairman of the panel, said: "We still need to know the details and what it means to vital services. I have to say thought that, in general, I understand the pressures the council has and appreciate the openness of the leader and chief executive."

Parts of the plans will go out to public consultation.