Five members of an Indian women's club cricket team from Punjab on tour in the United Kingdom have "disappeared" police sources said on Tuesday.

The women, all in their early twenties, went missing from two houses in predominantly Asian dominated Hounslow, in west London, where they were staying with eight other players.

The team from Jalandhar arrived on August 10 on a three-week visa with a full schedule of matches but played only twice in Worcestershire before the five disappeared on August 12.

According to a report in the Evening Standard today one was seen carrying luggage and getting into a car with two men at about 5 pm. The other four told team mates they were going to visit someone but were never seen again.

A spokesman of the Indian High Commission, Navdeep Suri, told PTI that they had read the report and were verifying the facts.

According to the report all the five left their passports behind.

Sergeant Vince Harte from Hounslow's missing persons unit said: "There was talk of this mysterious man appearing and the girls going off with him but after enquiries it appears they knew him and it may have been all pre-arranged."