CAMPIGNERS fighting to save 50 per cent of Brent's treasured libraries say they may have to wait a nail biting "few weeks" for the outcome of a High Court hearing.

Brent SOS campaigners attended the two day hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday and Friday last week, after the case was initially judged in favour of Brent Council on October 13.

The authority shut the branches hours after the first verdict was read out last month, and since then passionate residents have been protecting the buildings from being boarded up and cleared.

The group decided to take the case to the Court of Appeal in a last ditch attempt to save the branches, which are Barham Park Library, Tokyngton Library, Cricklewood Library, Kensal Rise Library, Neasden Library and Preston Library.

Priyah Shah, a campaigner for Preston Library, said: "The verdict is expected within a few weeks but nothing is certain. It is now time for the DCMS (Department for Culture Media and Sport) to get involved. They are obliged to investigate failures of library provision by local authorities under a separate law (libraries and museums act 1964), and we have submitted evidence showing that the new service is neither comprehensive not efficient.

"It doesn't save money, thousands more residents have been shut out from using libraries than ever before, leaving Brent with a two-tier system."

Thousands of letters and signatures have been handed to culture secretary Jeremy Hunt in the hope that he will hold an enquiry into the case, but campaigners say they still have not had confirmation of any kind of meeting from the department.

Fellow campaigner Samantha Warrington said: "We continue to gather evidence of the devastating effects of the closures on children and families, senior citizens, school pupils, the unemployed and people on low incomes, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, for the DCMS and are hopeful of an urgent intervention, now that those effects are so clear for all to see."

- Brent SOS is still fund raising to meet the costs for its fight to save local libraries. The Preston Library campaign is having a disco dance fund raiser at the Preston Mall Community Centre on Saturday November 19. It will run from 7.30pm until midnight, and tickets cost £6 each. To find out more visit www.brentsoslibraries.org.uk