A main road which has been closed all day due to a large sinkhole has now reopened.

The A226 London Road, in Swanscombe, was shut next to The George and Dragon pub and at the junction with Swanscombe High Street this morning after a large crevice appeared in the middle of the carriageway.

Temporary traffic lights have now been placed at the junction.

Kent County Council’s (KCC) highways team said the closure was due to a “large void in the carriageway” and told motorists to expect delays in the area.

It was reported to the local authority by Thames Water’s crews at 9.30pm yesterday (September 5) after it was identified on their maintenance work.

A spokeswoman for KCC said earlier today: “We are in the process of getting all utilities checked to prevent any further damage before a reinstatement can be explored.

“We should know more as the day progresses.”

Those nearby reported seeing Thames Water engineers on site throughout the day.

Buses faced diversions along the A2, missing the stop next to the pub.

This latest incident was just metres from the long-term closure on the A226 Galley Hill Road, in Swanscombe, which has been shut following a large landslip last year.

Over the weekend, thousands of people and businesses were affected after a number of BT Openreach’s fibre cables were damaged during works on the stretch of road.

It sparked an internet outage specifically in Stone, Greenhithe and Swanscombe, but it has since been resolved.