Families claim supersewer lorries will put lives at risk

One of London's busiest traffic hotspots will face jams for years if work on the Thames supersewer goes ahead, it was claimed today.

Residents in south Fulham claim 33 spill lorries will rumble through already congested streets every day once work begins to build a major part of the £4.1billion sewer.

Campaigners claim the lorries will endanger up to 4,500 children who attend 17 schools and nurseries within a mile of the site.

Mother-of-three Alex Kennaugh, 38, of Fulham Rats (Residents Against Thames Sewer), said: "The area has got one of the worst accident rates in the country. You have got to be very careful when weighing up the value of fish versus families."

Thames Water wants to build the sewer to collect 39 million tonnes of sewage released into the river every year. Main construction work would begin in 2016 and last for at least six years. A company spokesman said it intended to remove 90 per cent of excavated material by river or rail, and lorry movements would avoid rush-hour.

He said that for the Fulham Reach residential development the council had approved 50 lorry movements a day on and off the site. "Meanwhile, under our current proposals, in the busiest month of the tunnel project our daily average lorry movements will not exceed 33 on and off the Carnwath Road site."