The circus has been banned from Streatham Common due to “extensive” damage.

A circus has been banned from performing at the last minute because of “extensive damage” to a major south London community.

Zippos Circus was due to perform Wednesday shows for six days at Streatham Common, but Lambeth Council revoked permission over what it called “unacceptable” damage caused during the set-up.

The footage shows deep tire tracks in the grass, which the council said were caused by a lack of “adequate ground protection” after the wet weather.

A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “Rather than stopping and seeking guidance from the council on the best approach in the circumstances, the operators have continued with their setup work.

“This has contributed to significant damage to important and much-loved green space.”

The Friends of Streatham Common, a volunteer group that organizes events in the park, said the damage was “completely avoidable” and some of the worst it had ever seen.

“We support family events, but care is needed,” it says.

Zippos Circus said the damage was partly due to the wet weather and that it would pay all costs to get it back into operation.

“There is a 100% guarantee that we will pay for damages,” it says. “We said publicly that we would do it as soon as we saw the problem. We have placed signs near the area to inform the locals.”

She said all performances planned until May 1 on the joint have been canceled and she is now being forced to look for an alternative venue in a last ditch effort to be able to perform.

Ticket holders receive a refund.

Local resident Rob Patterson said there had been “a lot of tears” in their household over the cancellation as their seven-year-old daughter had planned to take her friends to the circus for her birthday.

Another, Tyler Harrington, added online: ‘It’s not their fault we’ve had so much rain and in a few weeks the grass will be back. It’s accessible family entertainment and should be allowed to continue.”

It comes after Haringey Council banned Tough Mudder challenges in Finsbury Park after damage described as an “environmental disgrace” by Labor MP David Lammy.