Campaigners fighting to save playing fields from becoming a caravan site will not be able to hand in their petition to the council cabinet after the split in the ruling Labour group.

The Save Broadfields campaign has collected more than 3,500 signatures against plans to to turn a sports field in Headstone Lane into a caravan site for tourists.

More than 50 people from the group were set to attend this evening's Harrow Borough Council cabinet meeting to officially hand in the petition.

But as a result of the formation of a breakaway Independent Labour group and the dismissal of the cabinet, the meeting has been cancelled.

Georgia Weston, leader of the campaign said: “We’re all very disappointed really. I feel the views and the democratic voice of 3,700 who signed this petition has been usurped by this group's actions.

“This was one of the only ways for us to show the strength of feeling against these plans but now it feels like we can’t have our say.”

The Harrow Times understands negotiations are currently taking place between members of the council to create a new cabinet that could be announced next week.

Yesterday it was announced nine members of the Labour group had broken away to form their own 'Independent Labour' group following a rift over the leadership of the party.

Later in the day leader of the council, and the breakaway group, Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar, dismissed the council cabinet.

Tonight's meeting, which was due to discuss plans to outsource library services in the borough to John Laing Integrated Services Ltd and the organisation of Cannon Lane First School and Cannon Lane Junior School, was cancelled.

The new Independent Labour group was formed by councillors upset following the appointment of Cllrr David Perry as leader of the Labour group in a surprise challenge last month, deposing Cllr Idaikkadar.