The owners of a Wimbledon sports field are looking to the courts to evict a group of Travellers who parked up earlier this week.

At least half-a-dozen caravans are believed to have used a gap in the trees to enter Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields on Monday evening.

Since then there have already been reports of cars being upturned, goalposts being damaged as well as being used as clotheslines.

Wimbledon and Putney Commons own the ground is question which is rented out to sports clubs such as London Cornish Rugby Club and football teams Old Thorntonians and Wandsworth Borough.

The Commons' chief executive, Simon Lee, said they are doing everything possible to remove the group.

"We have been taking legal advice and involving specialist enforcement agency," he said.

"We're looking to take action at the earliest possible opportunity and are applying to the High Court to try and get a possession order."

Currently there are home games scheduled several of the clubs who rent the ground, and it is uncertain whether those matches will go ahead.

"The principal of what we are trying to do is protect the Commons," Mr Lee said.

"There is already damage down there, with cars even being upturned."

He also advised that the car parks at the Playing Fields (alongside the A3) and at Springwell (Camp Road) will remain closed until further notice and advised anyone walking in the area to take care.