Campaigners block council's efforts to remove books from Kensal Rise library

Around 50 campaigners have gathered outside Kensal Rise library in north-west London after Brent council workers began removing books from the closed library, which has become a key battleground in the fight over local authority cuts.

Although the campaigners lost their legal battle to save the library in February, local residents have refused to give up the struggle and are offering to run it voluntarily as a free community facility.

At around 7.30 on Wednesday morning, three lorries and eight council workers, accompanied by Brent's head of libraries, Sue McKenzie, arrived to begin packing up books. Protesters then blocked the library doors, and the council workers have remained inside for the last few hours.

One campaigner, local resident Richard Cross, described the council's behaviour as "needlessly destructive". The 44-year-old lawyer added: "It's the action of an attitude of vendetta by the outgoing regime at Brent council. They cannot justify this by claiming lack of funds because we have said we'll run it as a voluntary library and open it up for the community at no cost to the taxpayer.

"We are defending the library and we are not going to be moral inferiors to the Victorians who created this library 111 years ago. We are going to campaign and fight and save the library. This is not the end."

The novelist Tim Lott, who has been an outspoken defender of public libraries, said Brent's actions had created "a ridiculous situation that simply has no logic to it". He added: "I can't make sense of it or understand why Brent are acting in such a bloody-minded way. It shows a hatred of the big community and the big society.

"It's a completely irrational situation where everyone is a loser and it's very sad. It's a victory for ignorance."

Asked what Wednesday's events could mean to those campaigning to save libraries elsewhere, Lott added: "The failure of this will take the wind out of a lot of people's sails. It's a blow for literacy and the end of a fine Victorian tradition."

At around 12.30pm, a police inspector arrived to survey the situation. Protesters are waiting to see whether more officers will be sent to clear the anti-closure campaigners and facilitate the clearing of books.