Transport for London have confirmed they are seeking to claim damages after a diesel spill closed the Blackwall Tunnel for an entire day, leaving drivers stranded for hours.

More than 1km of the northbound tunnel had to be resurfaced after a crane, being carried by a lorry, leaked diesel which damaged the tarmac.

Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, Surface Transport, said: “It is extremely frustrating that, alongside the impact it has to thousands of motorists and bus passengers, there is a significant cost associated with cleaning and resurfacing the road surface after damage like we saw at Blackwall Tunnel yesterday.

"We were quickly able to identify the vehicle that caused the spillage and have begun procedures through a third party recovery firm to recoup the cost of yesterday’s clean-up operation, which saw more than 1 kilometre of road resurfaced in half a day.”

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