A Harold Wood football pitch which was allegedly “ruined” by an unauthorised group will be monitored and improved.

That is the message from Havering Council after Harold Wood Cougars club claimed a group of people had been using and ruining its pitches for three years, causing them to close it to paying members.

Club secretary Brian Elwis, 50, said the club haven’t played a single game on the field this year due to "poor weather since Christmas, and the state the pitch was left in”.

He added: “The men's teams have also played all games away from home due to the state of the home ground, but we are still expected to pay the same fees every year.”

A Havering Council spokesperson said its enforcement team has been “looking into the matter and visiting the park at weekends with the aim of potentially taking action”.

They added: “No other teams or groups were playing football during their visits; however, we’ll continue to monitor the situation and take action when necessary.

“We are also working with the football club to improve the pitches for their use.”