Families form human shields to stop libraries being shut down

Campaigners today vowed to fight on after losing a legal battle to stop a London council closing half of its libraries.

A High Court ruling allowing Brent to close six libraries was met with angry scenes as hundreds of protesters - mainly mothers and children - formed human shields to stop workmen boarding up the buildings.

Today campaign group Save Our Six Libraries, backed by celebrities including playwright Alan Bennett, singer Nick Cave and bands Depeche Mode, the Pet Shop Boys and Goldfrapp, said the decision would be challenged. After successfully forcing the workers to abandon plans to board up the library in Kensal Rise last night, organiser Margaret Bailey, 60, said the legal battle would continue.

"People are very angry, very disappointed, but at the same time there's a sense of buoyancy about it because we will appeal," she said.

"They came to start measuring the windows for boards but there were around 150 people here and they went away.

"We're a bit surprised that Brent moved so quickly, we thought the QC said Brent wouldn't do anything until Tuesday. It's very quick."

A spokeswoman for Brent council said: "It was always our intention to close them as soon as possible."

The six libraries are in Kensal Rise, Barham Park, Preston Road, Neasden, Cricklewood and Tokyngton. The council says the closures will help to fund improvements to the remaining library service, with a "mega-library" in Wembley, and contribute towards the £104 million savings it needs to make.

But author Maggie Gee, protesting outside Kensal Rise library, said the plans were disastrous. She said: "This library was opened by Mark Twain in the 1900s.

Parents need it, children after school, old people, people looking for work - more than 80 per cent of the borough don't want them to close.
"They don't want to have to get on a bus and travel to Wembley. People need their local library."

Campaigner Philip Bromberg, 52, said: "The first thing is that the fight will carry on. We've been told by our solicitors we will probably be able to appeal and we will do that."