‘Wild west’ Deptford wows US

American tourists are being advised to visit Deptford after a travel guide called it "London's wild west".

The New York Times travel section claimed Deptford and New Cross was a must-see destination.

It said Deptford High Street was "blissfully free of chain stores" and assured readers the area had "an edge" to it. The review also praised Deptford's "boisterous concoction of blue-collar aesthetics and intermittent hipsterism" in an "inglorious" area of London.

The article surprised those who live and work in the area. Barmaid Sandra White, 41, said: "I thought it was 1 April when I was told about this."

Deptford councillor Heidi Alexander said: "I'm not sure that we rank up there with the London Eye or the Tower of London, but we offer something different."