A communal park, used for years by residents, has been lost because of a desire to create a “wooded river corridor”, the council said.

Residents complained after Merton Council dramatically reduced their grass cutting duties from up to 12 times a year in Ravensbury Park - to just twice a year – which they believe are simply due to cuts and now presents a safety risk.

A grassed area, which backs on to a number of houses and is frequently used by children in the area, has been allowed to grow up to a metre obscuring the nearby river.

Mrs Annette Mitchell, from Octavia Close, Mitcham, said: "We normally have a communal area round the back of Ravensbury Park which is a really well used area but it is part of the park.

"It’s brilliant because you have kids out there of all ages rather than being out on the streets.

"It’s a real health hazard and safety issue as it backs on to the river and I can’t see if a child goes through there."

She added: "We all clear up our dogs mess, but others don’t and kids are rolling down the hill and getting covered in mess that’s just left in the long grass.

"We have had one child covered in faeces and another with a rash."

But, she said, one patch of grass is being regularly maintained at least once a week - a two foot wide strip which is used as a public footpath to the park.

A council spokeswoman said: "Merton Council always ensures all of the parks are kept in a clean and safe condition.

"We are managing the landscape surrounding the Watermeads Estate, in a manner that reflects its natural habitat of being a wooded river corridor rather than a traditional urban park."