Thelma Ruby made the threat at a residents’ meeting in Southfields having previously said that her life would be “ruined” by building work and she is happy to be arrested for protesting

A former Coronation Street star said she is prepared to chain herself to the gates of Wimbledon in protest against the All England Club’s £200m expansion plans.

Thelma Ruby, 99, made the threat at a residents’ meeting in Southfields having previously said that her life would be “ruined” by building work.

Ruby, who also appeared on stage alongside Dame Judi Dench, has lived in a penthouse on Wimbledon Hill Road for 30 years and is leading the campaign against Wimbledon’s expansion of 30 news courts, including another show court, on the site of the former golf course across the road from the current complex.

Ruby said: “Let them arrest me. I live in a flat overlooking this magnificent landscape, which was designed by Capability Brown. The club talk about planting new trees, but can you imagine how long it would take for newly planted trees to give the benefits that we now get from mature trees?”

Ruby claimed she had been approached by someone from AELTC to discuss the proposed expansion and added: “I said: ‘What’s going to happen?’. He said: ‘Oh, all the trees will be cut down, and there will be eight tennis courts between you and the lake and it’ll take years to build.’

“This beautiful view I get when I look out of my window is not only going to be a building site, but there are going to be polluting lorries passing my window every 10 minutes.

“And we know, in this day and age, how important trees are. I look several times a day out of the window and enjoy my view. And it gives me strength to carry on.”

A ruling is set to be made on Friday by deputy mayor of London Jules Pipe at the end of this week after Sadiq Khan excused himself from the decision-making process having previously backed the expansion in 2021.