Storm brewing over Wimbledon tea flask ban

There's a storm in a teacup brewing at Wimbledon: British tennis-lovers have been told not to bring Thermos flasks of tea to the All England Club.

A set of picnic items, including a thermos flask, plastic cups, a sandwich box, and two woven shopping bags. (AAP)

A flask of tea is a staple of a British summer day out, but punters were warned not to bring one "for security reasons".

   

The ban means people will have to pay £2.10 ($3.55, 2.60 euros) each time they want a cup of tea at the grounds.

   

A tweet on the tournament's official Twitter account told people planning a trip to the southwest London site to check the list of prohibited items, adding: "Don't bring a Thermos."

   

Other items on the banned list include knives, illegal substances, political slogans, ambush marketing, tents, camping chairs, flares, klaxons and long lenses.

   

Writer Tim Lott said Wimbledon security guards confiscated his coffee Thermos. "I fought for my rights but they were steely eyed and relentless," he said.

   

Some Twitter-users wondered whether other brands of vacuum flask were perfectly permissible.