The South London Press has bowed to public pressure and launched a campaign to prevent the closure of Battersea Zoo.

Readers have been flooding the newspaper’s offices with angry letters – many asking if it can exert some pressure on the local council, which wants to close the attraction.

The zoo is on a hit list of services that could be cut to save money.

It needs £1.4m to get it through its next licensing inspection, a figure the council says cannot be justified when other public services also need money.

The South London Press’s first plan of action is to get a petition together to delay a closure decision before the final committee vote is held on May 6.

But the zoo runs at a loss and is not seen as a statutory service, so the council remains committed to its closure. If that happens, the 200 animals will be relocated across the country, and the 12 staff will lose their jobs.

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