It was supposed to boost the area but one Plumstead restaurant is on the verge of being put out of business by a crippling Crossrail charge.

Apni Haveli opened last year but in January it was hit with massive £12,250 community infrastructure levy (CIL) - a charge on businesses to help pay for Crossrail.

Now owner Bhupinder Tamana has received a final notice - telling him to pay up by May 15.

A distraught Mr Tamana said: "If I don't pay, they're going to stop me trading. I can't afford it and I don't know what to do. I'm going to lose everything - my livelihood, four people will lose their jobs, all the money I've spent on it I'm going to lose. I'll have to go bankrupt."

A spokeswoman for Greenwich Council, which collects the charge on behalf of the Mayor of London, said: "The Royal Borough of Greenwich, like all London boroughs, has to enforce the CIL regulations and collect payments.

"While we have no choice in this, we are concerned however if the CIL is giving rise to problems for businesses and we will look into this case to see if there is anything further that we can do."

Greenwich and Lewisam London Assembly Member Len Duvall told News Shopper he will try to make representations on the case.

He said: "The council should not seek the money all at once, and try to come sort of arrangement where small businesses such as this are involved."

And a spokesman for the Mayor of London said: "We will discuss this particular case with Greenwich Council."