A church pastor has called on people to join his campaign to save an iconic cinema, amid rumours that it is to be put up for sale.

Pastor Douglas Goodman, who heads up the V2V Community Church in Harrow, said he fears for the future of Safari Cinema, in Station Road.

His church also makes use of the building, but he is concerned that the site owners want to sell it off to housing developers.

Harrow Council explained that there have been “initial discussions” about the future of the cinema but confirmed that no planning application has been put forward.

Pastor Douglas hopes this remains the case and he urged as many people as possible to lobby the council against any further developments.

“We want to preserve this building. In fact, we want to restore it back to its former glory,” he said.

“Where would you find something like this in Harrow? This is an historic building that should be protected.

“It’s not about preserving the church, it’s about preserving the building and its history, and providing for the community.

“We need to lodge as many complaints as we can and make it clear that we don’t want any more flats.”

The cinema opened in 1936, featuring an art deco-style façade, and showcased a variety of films and other acts.

It has gone through numerous changes – notably, in terms of design, the introduction of metal cladding on the front – and is now a specialist Bollywood cinema.

The council said it would provide advice and assistance to anyone, including the church group, who proposed a scheme aimed at revamping the cinema.

It added that a full consultation would take place if an application to redevelop the site was put forward.