Sinking feeling for Greenwich residents

The most recent sink hole opened on Thursday, on a leafy road in Charlton and swallowed a car. The hole, which covered half of the road and is several metres deep, is the second to have opened up in the area in as many weeks. Experts have blamed the phenomenon on underground chalk caverns and disused mines littered across the district.

Sinkholes are appearing more regularly across Britain, and geologists are warning that more are expected to open.

In April a 20ft-wide sinkhole appeared in a road in Sheffield caused by old mine workings, according to local people.

Last October a gaping 66ft wide and 33ft deep developed overnight in St Albans, Hertfordshire, appeared overnight and led to five families being evacuated from their homes.

In 2014 a 20ft deep hole opened up in a garden in Hemel Hempstead on Saturday and almost 20 homes had to be evacuated.