An Oxford college has evicted a historic tennis club from its premises, ending a long tradition in the city.

Norham Gardens Lawn Tennis Club is leaving its site at Benson Place, north Oxford, today, after having played there since 1929.

Landlord, St John's College, has been leasing the site to the 230-member strong club on a series of ten-year leases, but the college has now decided to use the site for its own purposes.

Tennis club membership secretary, Mr Richard Bailey, said: "We have always been able to negotiate the lease each time it has come up for renewal, but the college have taken us to the brink of legal action when we tried to fight to keep the club here.

"They are the landlord and there is nothing we can do about it, and we have been unceremoniously dumped by them."

Mr Bailey said that the club had been hopeful of gaining an extension to the current lease which runs out today, but the negotiations ended in disappointment.

He said: "We have more than 100 juniors and it's important that they have a place to play or they may lose interest in the sport altogether.

"Who knows it could be the end for any budding Tim Henmans."

St John's College declined to comment on why the lease was not being renewed.

Tennis has an even longer history at the site, with the first All-England men's doubles contested there from 1879 to 1883 before moving to Wimbledon.

In 1979, the club's golden jubilee was marked with an international match between England and Ireland that featured the then British No 1, Jeremy Bates.

Mr Bailey said: "The tennis season is only a couple of months away now and we are desperately hoping to find a new home in the city for our members."