COMEDIAN Tim Vine has thrown his support behind a community campaign to save Surrey's oldest bookshop.
Banstead's resident king of the one-liners has urged residents to "march on the High Street" in a bid to save The Ibis Bookshop.
As reported by the Mirror earlier this month, the shop, an institution in Banstead High Street for 75 years, is facing closure.
Owner Linda Jones shed tears as she told us the twin pressures of competition from online giant Amazon, and rising overheads, had signalled the end for the Ibis.
But an incredible response from the community has since handed the much-loved independent bookshop a lifeline.
Dozens of residents have so far bid to buy a tiny share of the freehold as part of a crowdfunding initiative. The shop needs people to pledge £400,000 to buy the freehold outright, thus dramaticially cutting outgoings.
Vine this afternoon called for a public display of defiance, tweeting: "The best bookshop in Banstead is closing. It mustn't. Let's march on the high street! (after our afternoon naps obviously.) #savetheibis".
He followed it with: "Good point. Someone has just reminded me that it's the ONLY book shop in Banstead. But anyway it's still the best. #savetheibis".
To make a pledge to join the crowdfunding rescue bid, call into the shop.
