Friends of Twickenham Riverside are calling for people to join forces and help save a popular family-run cafe from closure.

Staff at Arthur’s by the River face losing their jobs after Richmond Council announced it would not be renewing the cafe’s lease, which comes to an end on June 16.

The cafe on the river, run by Adrienne Rowe and her husband, opened its doors in 2004, and was on a five-year lease.

The couple had hoped the cafe would stay open, but their hopes have been dashed by the council, whose decision not to renew the lease has been seen as the first steps in pushing through controversial plans to redevelop the riverside.

Friends of Twickenham Riverside member Scott Naylor said: “It’s a travesty.

“They are taking away jobs and closing the cafe which has provided an excellent service for the last five years. It’s well- loved and has a huge following.

People come from places as far as Hampstead and from Croydon to be a part of the riverside.

“We’re calling for action from the people to come and sign our petition.”

People will be able to sign the petition at the cafe on the riverside or at the Friends of Twickenham Riverside stall, which will be set up every Saturday outside Abbey National in Twickenham high street.

However, Richmond Council leader Serge Lourie said: ‘When the present lease was agreed with Mr and Mrs Rowe in August 2005 it was expected that the council would be in a position to appoint a developer for the Riverside site in summer 2009 and the expiration date for the lease was duly fixed for June this year.

“The Rowes entered into the lease in the full knowledge of this timescale. Good progress has been made with procuring a developer and there is no reason to depart from the original plan.

“We accept that the cafe provides useful and valued facilities at Twickenham Riverside and arrangements are being made for a service to be maintained short term at this location by Power Employment, a council-run service, which provides people with learning disabilities the chance to work in a real business and build skills which can help them find other employment.”