RESIDENTS have been left fuming after a former Gaelic football pitch is being mysteriously ripped up in New Eltham.

The 13-acre site in Avery Hill Road - which hosted international Irish football and hurling for more than four decades - has been left derelict after Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) moved its grounds to Ruislip in 1992.

Over the last 50 years neighbours have campaigned against 17 planning applications over the green space and are desperate for it to be returned to recreational use.

Despite GAA and developers Novalong Ltd losing a high-court battle to build 261 homes, diggers have moved into the fenced-off area uprooting trees leaving residents fearing GAA is preparing to sell off the land.

Campaign group RAGED (Residents Against Gaelic Environmental Destruction) has tirelessly fought against the land being locked away from public use.

Group co-ordinator Malcolm Bond said: "In the last two weeks, the GAA has put contractors on site, destroying trees and plants on site, ripping this place up and we believe it is to get it in a state so they can sell it.

"If you saw it now it would make you weep. "There are mounds of broken trees, tractor marks - it would break your heart.

"It will be a desert.

"Here we are with a beautiful local resource on community open space, complete rejection of planning permission and they are trying once again to fight it."

The 62-year-old, whose house backs onto the former pitches, used to enjoy watching games over his fence.

He said: "We want it to return for sports and recreation. "There is plenty of support for that. But the GAA won’t even let us use it.

"There used to be three beautiful football pitches on it. They don’t care."

GAA declined to comment on the site and its current situation.