Thousands of people have signed a petition to stop a farm that children “adore” from shutting down.

Belmont Farm, in The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, and the Waffle Café next door, has been told to close by Barnet Borough Council over a dispute about planning permission.

In February, a court told Mr Reid he had to be out by March 31 – but he says he disagrees with that decision and is fighting for the right to stay.

He said: “It is madness. It shows a complete lack of common sense and proves that common sense no longer prevails.

“The amount of letters I’ve had from people in the community shows how much people enjoy being here. It’s beyond belief.

“It’s the only place in London that you can see a cow being milked and it would be a huge shame to lose that.”

Mr Reid, a solicitor and a high court cost judge by trade, opened the farm in 2010 using money from his own pocket.

The council want the farm to move to a former school building on the same site, but this will cost roughly £2million to put into action.

If it were to close for good, 14 people would lose their jobs.

The petition, launched by Richard King, the UKIP Parliamentary candidate for Finchley and Golders Green, was signed by more than 1,000 people on 38degrees in just 24 hours.

Jim Wright, 25, who lives in Edgware, said: “It’s sad to think that the farm that children of all ages love and adore could go.

“It’s been so handy having it on our doorsteps and there isn’t anything else in Barnet quite like it. I don’t understand what the problem is.

“It’s not doing anyone any harm by being there, it’s not costing the council a penny. If anything, it brings more money into the area and helps the economy.”

Mischa Halai, seven, is a regular visitor to the farm. She said: “I like seeing the animals and I’d be sad if it had to close. It’s really fun petting them and the pigs are cool too.”

A council spokesman said: “No planning application was ever submitted for the retention of the children’s farm despite repeated requests and the council had no option but to issue a planning enforcement notice in November 2010.

“A Planning Inspectorate appeal against the notice was dismissed and the farm did not relocate to an adjacent site which it was granted planning permission for in June 2013.

“By March 2014, despite the council agreeing an extension of time to comply, the farm had still not complied with the notice and the council began prosecution proceedings.

“During a court hearing on 10 February the council withdrew the summons after the defendant agreed to comply with the terms of the notice and to pay part of the council’s costs.

“Currently the council has put on hold on any enforcement action until the end of April to allow the children’s farm time to relocate to the adjacent site for which it was granted planning permission in June 2013. It is a decision for the owners as to whether they choose to relocate the farm to the adjacent site where they have planning permission