The developers of Udney Park playing field "eat up" the site and replace it with housing, a community group fears.

The sports ground was sold by Imperial College London to Quantum Group in September 2015 after rejecting bids from groups such as Harlequins FC and Teddington Athletic FC.

The developer, Quantum Group, proposed a "mixed use" of the site involving retirement living with a section reserved for sporting facilities, but Gareth Bullock, of the Friends of Udney Park Playing Fields (FUPPF), said the area will lose a large section of its open land.

He said: "A borough which, by its own admission, is short of playing fields, should not allow something like this to happen.

"Sports clubs are having to turn children away because they are at capacity.

"The fields should have been sold to Space to Play or Harlequins and kept solely for sporting use.

"They are coming along with the intention of eating up the playing fields with flats and apartments."

The Quantum Group recently joined the Teddington Society as a corporate member, and Mr Bullock has called for this to be rescinded.

The society’s chairman, Sheena Harold, said though it did not agree with Quantum’s plans for the playing fields, the membership would stand.

Ms Harold said: "We have admitted them as corporate members but it doesn’t mean we are supporting their intention to build a big development on the site.

"We hope that now they are members of the society we can meet with them and persuade them there is a better use for the land."

Quantum’s head of community engagement, Kate Greatrix, said the company was in the early stages of preparing a public consultation programme.

She said: "Being at this very early stage means that we have no site plans or drawings to share at the moment.

"However, as an organisation that is fully committed to its community engagement, we will be keeping everybody informed as and when we have more specific details.

"We’re very much looking forward to meeting and communicating with local people and businesses in an open and transparent way as we move forward."