A fire at a Bermondsey recycling plant has resulted in severe delays to rail services across South London.

The blaze at the recycling centre on Landmann Way saw 15 fire engines and roughly 100 firefighters called to the scene, who worked overnight to ensure the fire was extinguished.

A statement yesterday from the London Fire Brigade confirmed that the Drone Team and Hose Layer Unit were present at the incident, with two of the Brigade's 32-metre turntable ladders being used to tackle the fire from above.

Station Commander Wayne Bloomfield, said: ‘At its height, the fire involved a large amount of refuse and the roof of a warehouse unit. A van and a car were also destroyed by the fire. One man was treated on scene by London Ambulance Service.’

He added: ‘Loose embers were also reported, which is normal during large fires.’

According to the Brigade, residents were told to ensure that their windows and doors were kept closed due to the large amounts of smoke from the blaze. They had also been advised to pour water onto loose embers identified on or near their homes, but to call 999 straight away if something caught alight.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘We apologise for the delay to your journey this evening. Due to a large fire in a recycling centre adjacent to the tracks in the New Cross area, there are severe delays on services in the South London area this evening and trains may be diverted to alternative London terminals.’

They added: ‘We are working with the emergency services to reinstate a full timetable and minimise any disruption on Tuesday 9 June for Southeastern Railway services through the area and for First Rail London services on the Windrush line.’