Sports teams have been left without a changing area, spectators without toilets and a café has been closed after a fire ripped through the pavilion in Cheam Park.

Firefighters say the blaze was started deliberately at about 9.30pm on Monday in a portable toilet left behind the building after Cheam Village Fair earlier that day.

The fire spread into the roof of the building and caused severe smoke damage to the inside of the Sutton Council-owned building meaning it will be several months before it can be used again.

The pavilion is used by a number of sports teams including the West Sutton Little League, as well as other clubs, tennis players and visitors to the park.

Repairs will cost thousands of pounds and it is feared the pavilion may have to be knocked down completely.

Councillor Jill Whitehead, chairwoman of the environment and neighbourhood committee said: "This fire has caused a huge amount of damage to a community asset and will see the park's café, public toilets and changing rooms out of action for several months at least.

"What people forget is that this is not just an unnecessary cost for the council. It also has an impact on local people's livelihoods and leisure time and we will work with the café operator, park visitors and the Little League organisers to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum."

Charles Jeffery, secretary of the West Sutton Little League, added: "We're all very sad and upset about it. It's a building which fits in very sympathetically with the rest of the park so for it to be so badly damaged like this is a real shame.

"We use it for the changing rooms, not extensively for the players but always for the refs, and obviously the lack of toilet facilities is a big concern when we have 600 children and around 800 people in total come here every Saturday.

"It's also used as a place to huddle together for spectators when the weather isn't so good.

"We haven't really got our heads around what we will do yet."

Police are investigating the blaze. If you have information you can call 101 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.