Charlton fire: 70 fire fighters sent to 'very intense' blaze near Greenwich

Over 70 fire fighters have worked to bring a 'very intense' fire at an industrial estate in south east London under control.

At least ten fire engines and an ambulance crew were sent to Lombard Wall in Charlton, Greenwich, at around 4pm, where six lorries and part of a food distribution warehouse were alight at the height of the blaze.

Chris Hawkswell, a tactical advisor for the London Ambulance Service, tweeted that two people suffering with breathing problems are being assessed, after buildings at the industrial estate were evacuated.

The fire brigade advised those nearby to close their doors and windows to protect themselves from the "thick black smoke", and told motorists to avoid the area.

Station Manager Bruce Grain who was at the scene said in a statement: "During its early stages this was a very intense fire.

"Crews wearing breathing apparatus attacked it extremely quickly and thanks to their efforts the fire was prevented from spreading any further into the warehouse and causing even more damage."

The fire is now under control, and officers are investigating the cause of the fire.

The Sainsbury's supermarket chain is currently investigating reports that the fire has engulfed one of their depots, a spokeswoman told The Independent.

Transport for London (TfL) earlier diverted the 472 and 486 bus routes due to the incident, and there were also delays at Anchor & Hope Lane, SE7.

Both routes have since returned to normal, but buses serving the Woolwich area are being delayed by up to 20 minutes, TfL later tweeted.

London City Airport, which is on the other side of the River Thames, has tweeted that staff are aware of the fire, but it has not impacted flights.

People in the area have been sharing dramatic images on social media of large plumes of smoke filling the sky.

Chris Jenkins, an actor and London resident, tweeted an image at around 5pm which appeared to show that the blaze was "dying down".

More to follow