As thousands of visitors flood into the south-west London suburb, the annual Wimbledon fortnight would seem to be a prime opportunity for local businesses to share the revenues from tennis’s most famous tournament. Yet every year they “either look forward to it or dread it”, according to Mie Baekke, manager of home accessories and furniture retailer Sia, based in nearby Wimbledon Village.

“Some businesses do very well out of it but others find it a very difficult trading period as the crowds can have a negative effect on their trade,” confirms Diana Sterck, chief executive of Merton Chamber of Commerce.