Campaigners take to the streets for final march opposing library cuts in Barnet

Dozens of people joined the procession as it made its way from South Friern Library to North Finchley Library, via East Finchley and Church End, on Saturday.

Authors Alan Gibbons, Linda Nissen Samuels and Angela Kanter spoke to the crowd, along with Broadchurch actress Carolyn Pickles and poet Fleur Adcock.

The London Metropolitan Brass Band performed as the march passed through the streets, while an NUT double decker bus followed.

Barnet Borough Council is set to make £2.85m of cuts to its library service, which could see libraries closed, reduced to 540sq ft in size or run by volunteers.

Campaign group Save Barnet Libraries has staged a series of marches throughout the borough during the past few weeks, to highlight its fierce opposition to the cuts.

Polly Napper, of East Finchley Library Users Group, said about 200 people joined the march, along with local political parties and trade unions.

She said: “We are keeping the campaign going. We will be at all the summer fairs, and will try to keep the message alive that we care about our libraries, and we really don’t want them to be cut.

“It has been rather painful, but we aren’t going to lose interest. We have to show the strength of feeling about it. It’s not a party political issue, all parties care about them. We will keep on making our case.”