A sign warning people to keep off a tiny patch of grass has been ridiculed by a council tax payer.

The patch, less than 1m sq, sits in the middle of a pavement in Raynes Park.

Resident Tom Beardmore said: “I would strongly debate why Merton Council felt the sign in Elm Walk was an appropriate use of resources.”

A council spokesman said: “Signs, similar to those erected in Elm Walk, are installed to remind motorists it is illegal to park on the footway and are designed to deter indiscriminate parking, which can damage the grass verge and be detrimental to the street scene.”