Cheam Baptist Church has bowed to public pressure and closed its Saturday night youth club after its members destroyed a nearby tree.

The Point has been a point of contention for neighbours who last week warned that the youth club - aimed at keeping teenagers off alcohol - was turning Cheam conservation area into an "open-air nightclub."

Residents said it attracted up to 50 young people every Saturday.

"It has become a magnet for anti-social behaviour. They drink alcohol and make a lot of noise. It is an open-air nightclub for them.

"On one occasion I had to dial 999 to prevent a wheelie bin which had been set on fire being rammed against the doors of the library by a pack of teenagers," said neighbour Jason Plent.

Neighbours also suspected drug dealing was going on in the porch of the library, and have seen girls stripping off and changing their clothes.They have also had thousands of pounds worth of damage caused to their cars and garden walls, and have concerns about the church's approach to youth work.

"I don't understand the nature of the social work they're doing. I think they're very idealistic. One youth worker - a former drug user - told me she had found God and he had instructed her to do this work," said resident Jane Furnival.

The church has formerly stood by its decision to provide a place for teenagers to go on a Saturday night.

But an incident on Saturday night, when youths destroyed a tree by swinging on it, has brought the club to a temporary end.

"Most of the teenagers who turned up on Saturday were wonderful and just needed something to do as there is nothing on for them, but we have to take stock on what we're doing," said church pastor Tim Saunders.

The club will close temporarily while the church decides how it can handle it better - possibly through a partnership with Cheam High School. Sutton police said they were cracking down on off-licences selling booze to kids in that area and Paul Burstow MP is calling for the area to be made an alcohol-free zone.