The streets of Kensal Rise are lined with posters backing the fight to save the Victorian reading room opened by Mark Twain

Traders are rallying round a campaign to save their library – and putting up posters to pledge their support.

Friends of Kensal Rise Library have been hitting the streets delivering flyers telling businesses about Brent Council’s plans to close the reading room, and urging them to oppose it.

And their rallying cry to save our library has been taken up by traders who have pinned posters to their windows to back the campaign.

Among them is Prince Julius, who runs the Beverley Hills Radio Car and Chauffer Services shop in Station Terrace, Kensal Rise.

Mr Julius, who has five children aged six to 22, said all of his family had used the library at some point.

He said: “The community needs the library to study. It will really affect children and students who will use it for books and computers.

“I live nearby, but it is really important for businesses to stand should to shoulder with residents to fight to keep it. It gives the campaign momentum.”

Clavent Artrey, who has run Gee Barbershop in Station Terrace since 1970, also pledged his support to the campaign by pinning a poster in his window.

He said: “I have lived round this area since 1960 and I have four kids who all visited and borrowed books. Two of my children have gone off and got degrees so it obviously helped them.

“We need the library. Where else will we go – Willesden Green?

“I don’t see why the council want to close it, whenever I go by it is busy and it has been there for many years. So any people have got the benefit of it.”

Mohamad Issa who runs a dry cleaner, caf� and grocers in College Road, Kensal Rise, said: “I have three businesses along this road and we are dependent on that through traffic from the library for a lot of our business.

“If the council close Kensal Rise it will definitely affect trade.”

Hundreds of residents have also pinned the black and white posters up in their windows.

The campaign to save Kensal Rise library was launched in December after the council announced plans to close it and five others as part of sweeping cuts.

Brent is consulting on the plans. If they are approved, the reading rooms will close in April.