A councillor said he was pleased to see a library fully back on its feet following flooding that forced its closure for several weeks.

Flooding at Willesden Green Library in High Road, Willesden, throughout June last year meant the library’s water mains were damaged and could not provide drinking water or functioning sinks and toilets.

Damage to the building’s floor meant the reading room was unable to reopen until the end of October.

The closure affected the number of books borrowed from libraries across the borough, with the council just missing its target for 2018/19.

The performance report showed there were around 800 fewer ‘active borrowers’ than expected, partially due to the disruption in Willesden.

The council said it would “continue to research and monitor” borrowing patterns to ensure its goals are achieved.

But the report showed those taking part in events at the library had exceeded the council’s goal.

This was achieved through several “high profile” programmes, including an exhibition on the borough’s Windrush generation and work with The Kiln theatre.

Cllr Krupesh Hirani, responsible for culture and leisure at Brent Council, championed the work at Willesden Green Library over the past year.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Monday (June 17), he said it had “ramped up community involvement” to make up for 34 days closure over summer.

“I’m very pleased to see that cultural participation at Willesden Green Library has met its target, having previously been red due to flooding,” he said.