Parts of Mitcham Common may become overgrown and inaccessible after council funding has been cut by nearly a half, according to a Friends group.

Tony Burton, a member of independent group Friends of Mitcham Common, said: "The most basic maintenance of footpaths will be stopped, litter will be left, fly tipping will not be picked up.

"Funds have been reduced to such a level that chunks of the Common will be left to grow wild without public access, without any effort to keep clear of litter and rubbish.

"These decisions were made without any consultation. We didn't know about what was being planned."

According to documents published by Mitcham Common Conservators, all path maintenance and litter clearance has been withdrawn from seven different parts of the Common. These include areas near Mitcham Junction and along the railway line opposite Three Kings Piece.

They say a drop in funding means "difficult decisions" have had to be made regarding the future maintenance of the Common, but declined to comment further.

Conservators are statutory bodies appointed by the council to manage the public park.

Merton Council confirmed it has slashed its usual grant in half, from £48,000 in 2016/2017 to £24,000 for the current year. A spokesperson said: "Local authority grants for Mitcham Common have been reduced this year due to ongoing financial pressures.

"These decisions are never easy but Merton is still making a contribution albeit a reduced one. The conservators decide how and where the grants are spent."

Sutton Council confirmed it will no longer be providing funds for the Common's maintenance. Last year, it paid £7,700 to the conservators. It said: "Only a small part of the common is within Sutton's boundary and, of that, an even smaller part is actually owned by Sutton Council.

"As one of a number of agreed budget reductions made across the council to meet required savings, we have ceased funding Mitcham Common Conservators. However, we continue to maintain the land we own using our own grounds contractor."

Croydon Council said it will be paying its usual grant to Mitcham Common. It said: "Croydon has been asked for our usual contribution of £14,120 from the Mitcham Commons Conservators which we will be paying shortly."