They had nothing else to do and nowhere to go, so for hours at a time they would gather on four benches beneath a tree in the middle of their estate in southeast London.

Neighbours complained of noise and nuisance and the local housing association proposed to disperse the gang by removing the benches. In response, the alleged troublemakers have pointed out that they are all pensioners, that they are mostly teetotal, and that their long conversations about the Blitz could not possibly amount to antisocial behaviour.

Ann Reddy, 69, a retired medical secretary, said: “I’m 69 and I’m the baby of the group. I have rheumatoid arthritis. One of the group has had a hip replacement, another has had both hips replaced, and another lady recently had open-heart surgery. I don’t think we could possibly be a threat to anyone.”

She admitted that “most of us have sticks”, but added: “We need them to walk. We have never threatened anyone with them.” She did not believe she was keeping anyone awake at night, either. “We are usually back inside by three in the afternoon.”

A threat to remove the benches and put a stop to their afternoon conversations about the weather and what they had bought in the shops that day came from the Broomleigh Housing Association, the landlord of the estate.

Julie Schoon, an assistant director at the association, said: “As a registered social landlord, we are responsible for ensuring that any complaints of nuisance are acted upon.”

She said there had been “a number of complaints” in the past two years about pensioners from the estate in the suburb of Mottingham sitting on the benches. “We are very reluctant to remove any of the benches and would view this as a last resort,” she said. “We have worked hard to try and mediate between those involved.”

The Mottingham pensioners are furious. Rose Anderson, 96, who has nine great-grandchildren, said: “I would be devastated if I was stopped from meeting my friends. I’m so old now and I have nothing else to do.”

Mrs Reddy said that the housing association had suggested they congregate in a park. “I have arthritis,” she said. “I couldn’t get there.”

When she told her doctor that the association was threatening to take away their benches, he asked if she had been drinking. “I don’t drink at all,” she said. “A bit of Lucozade is my tipple. We don’t sit on walls throwing cans of lager. We don’t sing in the middle of the night. It’s unbelievable.”

Mrs Reddy insisted that their conversations were quiet and dignified. “We talk about the weather, who’s bought what, the shop round the corner doing a special offer on bleach. We talk a lot about the war: I love hearing about that. One gentleman was evacuated during the Blitz.” Despite her shock that some neighbours had complained, and her anger at being called a “noise nuisance”, she and her fellow pensioners are ready to fight them on the benches. “I’m not the type to lie down and let people boss me about,” she said. “We are being treated like naughty school-children. I suppose we will have to go and see the headmistress.”

At the housing association, Ms Schoon said: “We are talking to residents and considering various solutions to try to resolve the issue.”

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