Staff working at this summer's Wimbledon Championships have slammed Veolia after they were not granted access passes and food vouchers.

It means workers are not able to get into the club to use staff comfort and catering facilities. They said in previous years, when they had been working under Merton Council, staff passes meant they could access the complimentary food and refreshments provided each year by All England Tennis Club to all staff.

Under a new contract with the South West London Waste Partnership, all waste management in the South West is managed by Veolia, and staff that previously worked for the council now work for the company.

Cleaning staff say they turned up to work on Monday but were not given standard staff passes, or lunch vouchers.

There are at least 16 staff members from the company carrying out a range of activities, such as street sweeping, rubbish collecting and toilet cleaning. The employees say they do not believe they will be reimbursed for any expenses they incur during their 12 hour shifts.

One source told the Wimbledon Guardian: "I work for 16 hours a day but I haven't heard whether I will be getting my pass or not. I was told that I would but now I have heard differently.

"One of our colleagues spent £15 on food yesterday. The food is expensive here and we don't know if we will get that money back."

Merton Council has been contacted to confirm that passes and vouchers had previously been arranged for staff.

A Veolia spokesperson said: "The wellbeing and safety of our staff is paramount and our street cleaning team are given sunscreen and refillable water bottles as a matter of course. There is no need for them to have passes to the tennis courts as their work and access to basic amenities is in the surrounding areas.

"They are responsible for emptying the litter bins and keeping the surrounding footpaths and the queuing park area clear of litter. In this area they have access to food outlets, comfort break areas and toilets so they’re able to carry out their important work."

Responding to Veolia's statement, another worker said: "There isn't a place for us to go away from the vehicle.

"Food costs are coming out of our money, whereas we had £20 a day from the club before. Now the closest place to get food is a burger van, for £5.50. So we will be eating burgers every day for two weeks."

Wimbledon Guardian did not find designated staff areas outside of the tennis club.