A van driver had a lucky escape this morning after a Woolwich crash at a busy Woolwich crossroads left his vehicle on its roof.

Police were called out to reports of a car in collison with a van at the junction of Woolwich Common and Ha-Ha Road at 8.28am.

Greenwich Council security worker Andrew Pledger, 53, was driving with colleague Jim Kerwick when they saw the accident happen.

Mr Pledger said: "The van broke and he spun and flipped over a couple of times and slid down the road on his roof."

He added: "If we'd been a millisecond faster than we were I wouldn't be here telling you this today.

"As soon as it happened I got on the phone to the emergency services. My colleague got out to help the female passenger in the car. She was in shock."

He went on: "I took control of the traffic and kept the traffic away from the debris."

Mr Pledger, who directed cars and buses away from Ha-Ha Road, added that the van driver needed to be "pulled out by his feet."

Officers and the London Ambulance Service both attended the scene and discovered the overturned van in Ha-Ha-Road. 

Despite the nature of the crash, police say both drivers only required treatment at the scene for shock.

The road was closed off afterwards. No arrests have been made.