Erith fire: Thick smoke billows across south east London as fire fighters tackle huge blaze

Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky as firefighters tackled a blaze in south east London.

Six fire engines and 35 firefighters rushed to Erith after a reportedly derelict building burst into flames shortly after 7.30pm on Monday.

Dramatic video footage and images showed thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky over residential streets around West Street.

A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade said crews had been called to a blaze in a single storey building at 7.35pm.

Six fire engines were sent to the scene alongside crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

She added that specialist equipment was being used amid fears the roof of the building was unsafe.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.