A historic village cricket club has been asked to pay £1,000 a year to continue playing on the ground where it has been based for over century.

Tadworth Cricket Club was established 112 years ago and is believed to have moved to its current site on the Common in Mill Road before the First World War.

But now cash-strapped Banstead Commons Conservators (BCC) have asked the club, which has made a loss for the past two years, to pay £1,000 from this April -to the outrage of many club members.

The club has not had to pay for use of the land since the 1920s and 30s when it is believed to have been charged a peppercorn rent of around £3.

John Milner, clerk to the conservators, said: "We really want them to stay there and they have been there for a long, long time. We are not against the club.

"But all the commons are there for all the people to enjoy all of the time. We have to maintain them."

He said the conservators are in dire financial straits and the rent would help pay for staff wages, equipment and maintenance work.

He said: "It's only fair they should be brought into line with other clubs in the area who take ground from Reigate and Banstead Council and pay rent."

There are concerns that the club might face eviction if it cannot pay but its chairman, Craig Stephenson, declined to comment on the matter due to ongoing discussions.

He said the club has 90 junior members and between 30 to 40 adult members.

Mr Stephenson said: "Our goal is to make cricket available for all ages, abilities and genders so they can enjoy playing cricket in the local area."

The minutes of a conservators’ meeting last month said that Mr Stephenson, Graham Young and Tim Bennett made representations on behalf of Tadworth Cricket Club.

It said: "They questioned BCC authority to charge a rent and highlighted that they were a small village cricket club who had made a financial loss for the last two years.

"As a club they were involved in local community work particularly bringing youngsters into cricket and that they maintain the area at their own expense.

"Whilst wishing the cricket club to remain on the sports field it was pointed out that they had not paid anything for its use for many years whereas other clubs in the area did pay...and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council provided grants which could discount the amount they had to find from membership."

The minutes noted that the cricket club would apply for a grant from the council which involved submitting club accounts and an invoice from the conservators.