A community group is "heartbroken" after Harrow Borough Council rejected its business plan to save a library.

The Friends of Bob Lawrence Library group have been campaigning to save the library, in Mollison Way, Edgware, since Harrow Borough Council announced plans close it as part of budget cuts.

The campaigners were invited to submit their own business plan to allow the library to remain open as a community-run venture, but group members say they feel devastated after being told their application had been rejected.

Farah Sadiq, lead campaigner, said: “I got the letter and my heart sank – it was expected and unexpected all at the same time.

“A lot of effort went into this campaign, with people putting in a lot of time at their own expense to help us come forward with this.

“I feel so sorry for the people who rely on that library, who use it every day and truly need that service.

“I genuinely don’t know what they are going to do now, once it closes – it is just so sad.”

A letter from Harrow Council to Mrs Sadiq, of Beverley Drive, Edgware, stated that the group’s business plan “did not demonstrate to the panel that the Friends of Bob Lawrence Library would be able to deliver or sustain a community managed library, on the information provided”.

It went on to say that that the application did not include proof of how the income projections had been calculated, nor details of how the library would be staffed.

Mrs Sadiq added: “I am just not sure what else the group as a collective force could have done.

“The council say they were engaging with us but we have really done everything we possibly can, as we have reached out to them and asked for meetings but have heard nothing back.”

The library is now due to close for good at 5pm on Saturday, June 13.

Campaigner Alan Wylie said on social media site Twitter the closure is “absolutely tragic and short sighted”.

He added: “It is a total travesty of local democracy and accountability - a sham process.

“It also doesn’t help that many councillors don’t use libraries and are ignorant of their role.”

Supporter Rosalyn Neale added: “These people led such an amazing campaign - giving up so much time freely. There must be a way round it.”

Harrow Councillor Sue Anderson said: "I would like to thank everyone involved in working on the Bob Lawrence community run library proposal for all their hard work and dedication over the past few months.

"Unfortunately there was no way we were able to asses the business plan as financially sound to keep the library running independent of a Council subsidy – it just wasn’t feasible.

"However we will continue to work with community groups across the Borough, for example on projects with Shaftesbury school and Hatch End library, to protect our libraries from the £83m of cuts from Central Government imposed on Harrow Council and our residents."