Wandsworth Council’s library network has experienced another record year with the largest number of issues in the capital at 1,432,685.

The statistics from public service accountancy body CIPFA show that in 2015/2016 Wandsworth residents were consuming more library books than any other borough in London.

Culture spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said: “More than 1.4million issues is an incredible result and the highest in all of London.

“It shows how valuable our library network really is and how it is flourishing thanks to our partnership with GLL.

 “The most important thing any council can do to move up the book lending chart is keep libraries open. 

“Sadly many authorities are closing branches down but here in Wandsworth our network has been preserved and we are building new, state-of-the-art libraries for the next generation.”

Day-to-day management of the 11 library branches in Wandsworth was outsourced by the council to charitable social enterprise Greenwich Leisure Limited GLL in 2013.

Since then Earlsfield Library has been completely redecorated, Battersea Library has been upgraded and the children’s library at Northcote and Tooting have been refurbished.