The Labour MP for Croydon North has piled pressure on two Labour-run councils to reverse their decision to slash Upper Norwood library's funding.

Steve Reed issued a joint statement with library campaigners calling for at least the same money per head of population as the equivalent town-centre libraries in Croydon and Lambeth.

It comes after Croydon and Lambeth councils, which jointly fund the library, announced plans to cut its yearly budget from £245,000 to £100,000 from next April.

The announcement came just five months after Croydon Council said it would increase its share by £47,500 and pledged to match Lambeth’s contribution.

Friday's statement, released jointly by Mr Reed and the Upper Norwood Joint Library Trust, said: "We want to see the Upper Norwood Joint Library receive at least the same funding per head of population as equivalent town centre libraries in Croydon and Lambeth, and Croydon to meet their commitment to fully match all funding from Lambeth including the endowment fund.

"Lambeth and Croydon should both continue to recognise the unique status of this library and its role in providing statutory library services for the community it serves across several borough boundaries. 

"We ask Croydon Council to restore, in the council’s constitution, the historic references to the Upper Norwood Library that were removed by the previous Conservative administration when they broke the joint funding agreement."

They added: "The joint funding of the Upper Norwood Library by both Lambeth and Croydon for more than 100 years is a model of cross-borough co-operation that benefits the entire community of Crystal Palace

"Lambeth and Croydon should both continue to recognise the unique status of this library and its role in providing statutory library services for the community it serves across several borough boundaries."

Croydon Council leader Tony Newman, who campaigned for increased funding for the library alongside Mr Reed when in opposition, said: "I understand the library funding concerns that it was lower than people thought.

"Lambeth has introduced an endowment model for funding and we will match fund with Lambeth."

He added: "We want to see the community feel [of the library] in many more libraries across Croydon."

But Robert Gibson, co-chair of the library trust, said: "Consultation after consultation, public meeting after public meeting the community has spoken loudly and strongly in favour of a properly funded, professionally staffed library that serves all the people of this area.

"The community has campaigned for a town centre library. Not a community centre with books in it. We’ve already had funding cuts, staff cuts and opening hours cuts. W

"Why should Upper Norwood receive much less funding than other Croydon libraries given that it serves more than 19,000 Croydon residents?"

The trust is to take full control of the running of the library as part of the latest funding deal with the two councils, who had warned they would seek another provider if the trust rejected the cut.