The future of the town dump is up in the air amid rumours the company that runs it is in financial difficulties.

The firm that runs Sutton's Kimpton Park Way Reuse and Recycling Centre, Environmental Waste Control (EWC), is believed to be in difficulties and it is unclear whether the dump will even be open this weekend.

EWC runs the dump on behalf of the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP), made up of Sutton, Croydon, Kingston and Merton councils, and crisis talks are believed to be ongoing.

But Sutton Council is, as yet, unable to say whether the dump will be open this weekend and beyond and EWC has been approached for comment but has so far declined.

A spokesman for South London Waste Partnership said: “EWC, the company which operates six household reuse and recycling centres on behalf of the South London Waste Partnership, has had some issues affecting service.

"The partnership is monitoring these closely and in conjunction with EWC is committed to ensuring the continued operation of the recycling centres.”

The dump is supposed to be open daily and takes household waste, garden waste and recycling. It is the town's only public dump and it is not clear what will happen if EWC is unable to run it in future.

A webcam on the council's website which shows the entrance to the site went offline earlier this month.

EWC took over the management of the dump in 2009, replacing the previous company Sita as part of an agreement to increase recycling in the borough. But operations got off to a slow start with dump users complaining of long queues to get in.