Commentary: Why do we have to pay a tennis tax?

The problem is not just the state of the public tennis courts in London.

There's no point in having one in great condition if local people can't afford to use it. Besides, if you've paid your council tax, haven't you paid for it already?

There is no justification for a council charging for a tennis court in a public park.

I live in Merton and pay my council tax. If I want to use one of the tennis courts in Wimbledon Park then it will cost me £6.20 an hour.

The income is not ringfenced for the courts - or even sport - it goes into the council's kitty. I am effectively paying a tennis tax.

What sense is there in taxing a sport that keeps you healthy when the Government is spending millions trying to get people to exercise more (including money that it gives to councils to do the same)?

We don't have to pay to look at the flowers. Children don't pay to use playgrounds. A kickaround on the grass is free. All of these need maintenance - probably less than a bit of tarmac with a net up. I have seen children turned off a tennis court because their hour was up, only for all the courts to then remain empty. Why spend money trying to get people to exercise while employing staff whose job is to curtail it?

Come on, Boris. Lead the way on this one. Show some leadership. If some London boroughs have made their tennis courts free, then why can't all of them?

If I was to suggest that every council bought a property, lit it, heated it, staffed it and bought books which they lent to the public free, then people might say it was a crazy idea. But we do that with libraries. Why? Because years ago government was worried about people's literacy. Well, now they're worried about their health.

Maybe it's time we woke up and lobbied councils to stop ripping us off.

Tony Hawks is a comedian, author and co-founder of charity tennisforfree.com