Investigations are underway into whether construction work on a £250m Lewisham development contributed to flooding which caused hours of travel chaos.

Around 1,800 square metres of the area around Loampit Vale was affected from noon onwards on November 23 after the River Ravensbourne burst its banks. 

Onlookers described the hours of disruption as "carnage" while one claimed it made SE13 look like Venice.

Fire crews were called in to pump flood water away from homes and businesses. 

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Twenty-one fire fighters and officers were called to the scene to pump the water further downstream as the area was cordoned off.

Loampit Vale Road was flooded as was a nearby shop but, thankfully, no residential homes. Crews also managed to stop the water reaching the DLR station so it could stay open. The road finally reopened at 4.48pm. 

Station manager Bruce Grain who was at the scene said: "At first, firefighters were standing in about half a metre of flowing water using specialist pumps to divert the water flow away from the road, shops and homes. 

"Crews worked quickly and the water level has now subsided."

In recent weeks, concerns have been raised that work on the huge Lewisham Gateway redevelopment could be affecting the river, with a claim that a dam built to keep water from the site could lead to flooding.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "We are now investigating the cause of the flooding.

"Initial investigations suggest the source of the flooding in the borough was primarily the nearby River Ravensbourne. 

"We are aware that there is ongoing development works in the area which may be a contributory factor. We are liaising with the contractor to investigate this further. 

"Until we have conducted our investigation, due to legal reasons, we are unable to comment further."

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A spokesman for Lewisham Gateway said 10 days worth of rain fell in the borough over just 24 hours and claimed an employee of Gateway developer VolkerFitzpatrick registered the initial flood alert.

He said: "The floods affected Loampit Vale, covering a 100 yard ‘dipped’ area of the road. VolkerFitzpatrick, Lewisham Gateway’s contractors,  and the emergency services moved quickly to limit the impact of the floods on the DLR, shops and businesses.

"The Lewisham Gateway team and the Environment Agency are currently conducting an investigation, which will identify if the works contributed to the flooding and if so what measures could be put in place to prevent further incidents."