Tube station book swap ban 'ridiculous'

A decision to end free book exchanges at London Underground stations on safety grounds has been branded "ridiculous" by a former fire chief.

The benefits of these mini-libraries, which have operated in stations across London for years, outweigh the fire risks, according to former London Fire Brigade (LFB) borough commander Steve Dudeney who called the ban "overkill".

LFB said "combustible material poses a fire safety risk", while Transport for London (TfL) said it would work "to see if book swaps can be reintroduced".

Tian, who commutes from Oval Tube station in south London, said: "It's not a tragedy compared to other things happening in the world but it's disappointing for local residents."

A source close to mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, told BBC London that the mayor had "stepped in".

"We are looking to reverse this decision as soon as possible. TfL are working urgently with LFB to ensure this happens," they added.

Section 7 of the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 states: "All parts of station premises must be kept clear of any accumulation of combustible refuse."

Mr Dudeney said: "Bearing in mind those regulations have been in place for 16 years and there hasn't been a fire… I think it's a ridiculous application. It's overkill.

"If you've got a small bookshelf on a platform and in the upstairs area, the risk is there but it's negligible.

"Someone has taken the legislation to the nth degree without using experience and skill to use a proper assessment of the risk."

Tian added: "I'm obviously quite dismayed and disappointed.

"Firstly, it feels heavy-handed particularly because where the book exchange is is at the street level and, secondly, there are still the daily free newspapers in the station.

"It just felt very sudden and it wasn't really clear why it was a fire safety issue."

Kamal Shah, chair of North Harrow Community Library, said he "could see both sides".

He said: "I can see why people are upset. It's unfortunate but I feel that TfL are not entirely to blame here.

"The biggest problem is people being inconsiderate; if people hadn't been vandalising them or dumping stuff around the shelving, TfL would have been happy to carry on the scheme

"There are other places where [book swaps] happen which are more sustainable than stations."

An LFB spokesperson said: "We are working with TfL with regards to their responsibility to remove all book libraries from subsurface stations.

"This is due to combustible material posing a fire safety risk if it is stored on these premises.

"Non-subsurface stations have been asked to remove book libraries from display until they have the correct fire safety plans in place."

A spokesperson for TfL said: "We work very closely with LFB and other emergency services to ensure our services run safely and, following guidance from the fire service, we have advised our staff to remove book swaps from stations.

"We will also work with local communities to redistribute books to alternative local locations in the meantime."

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