Up-for-sale Teddington Sports Ground has the "potential for a number of alternative uses", according to the estate agent handling its sale.

The playing fields in Udney Park Road, owned by Imperial College London (ICL), have been put up for sale after the university scaled back its use of the site last year.

Estate agent Knight Frank is overseeing the sale of the 12.8-acre sports ground, advising potential suitors it would be ideal for developments, including housing and schools.

Hampton Wick Councillor Tony Arbour said: "Knight Frank should get their tanks off our lawns - there is no possibility that the council would agree to housing on this important green site.

"Prospective purchasers should be warned that that local Conservatives and residents will not give way and they think otherwise at their own risk."

Fellow Hampton Wick Councillor Tania Mathias said she strongly opposed any suggestion the land could be used for housing.

An ICL spokesman said: "We want to reiterate categorically that no decision has been made on the site, we are only at the very beginning of the process of investigating external interest.

"There have been a lot of interested parties and plans mooted but we are a long way from making a decision."

A timecale on the decision will not be known until late March, when the university will hold discussions with "local interest groups".

Twickenham MP Vince Cable said: "There is common ground in the local community, which I share, that it would be completely inappropriate to have the playing fields sold off to a developer.

"The best way of dealing with the situation would be for the council to acquire the site itself and for it to be used for community use, remaining predominantly as a playing field."

ICL has been exploring the future use of the Teddington playing fields since it purchased a new facility in Heston last year.

The sports ground is currently managed and operated by Newland House School, which pays an annual rent of £68,000, as well as Richmond Cricket Club.

Headmaster David Alexander refused to be drawn on whether the independent school would be interested in purchasing the site.

He said: "The school will continue to use the site as our main sports facility for the remainder of the academic year and we are currently managing the facilities at the grounds."

The fields at Udney Park Road were thought to be the long-time preferred choice for Turing House School before it failed to open in September.

Teddington Councillor Stephen Knight said: "I do not think there is any chance you could build houses on the site, given its planning designation.

"I think the council should be exploring whether it could host a new school as it is certainly a big enough site."