IT could be game, set and match for the grass tennis courts in Ringwood after vandals cut the wire fencing and ripped the wooden door off the Carvers Field pavilion.

Hampshire Police confirmed that the courts had been broken into and damaged earlier this month - the latest of a string of attacks on the clubhouse.

Increasing vandalism and loss of membership has been blamed for the recent closure of Ringwood Lawn Tennis Club. But former member of the club, Andrew Booth claimed the town council had "destroyed" the tennis club through its actions.

"The town council has put enormous financial pressure on us and when we were struggling with problems with anti-social behaviour from youths - they did very little," he said.

"It seems that the council thwart us at every turn from succeeding. It seems strange that our costs increased and the town council said they were unable to help us financially and yet now they can pay for court maintenance."

Ringwood town council clerk Terry Simpson said tennis would continue to be "supported" in Ringwood and a ten-foot fence would be constructed to keep the courts free from intruders. But he said the pavilion would be pulled down and sold, despite a warning from Cllr Angela Wiseman not to make a hasty decision.

use the main pavilion for changing. Mr Simpson said: "The pavilion will be removed and the courts will be used in the same way as the hard courts. The town council will look at the future of the courts in light of demand for tennis."

At the recent recreation, leisure and open spaces committee meeting, Mr Simpson said the club chairman, Roger Titley, told the council the maintenance charges for the courts were too high. He told members that due to the low membership, the club said it was unable to pay.

Ringwood Recreation Centre has agreed to let the courts to the public at £6 per hour in the same manner as the hard courts.