Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus had to tackle a poisonous chemical spill from a lorry at Canning Town today

Crews from Silvertown, Poplar and Millwall were called to the scene at the roundabout outside the ExCeL Centre on Western Gateway at about 1pm.

A flatbed lorry had shed its last two crates with around 50 car batteries inside, which fractured and spilt battery acid over a large area of the road, according to firefighters.

The roundabout was cordoned off by the firefighters, who put down soda to neutralise the acid.

Crew manager at Millwall station, Jay Kearsarge, said: “It is poisonous and could have caused burns if anyone had got into contact with it. It was a very arduous job to do in the sun today.”

The area was deemed safe about 5pm and handed over to Newham Council to be cleaned up.