RUSH-HOUR traffic was thrown into chaos following two accidents on the same stretch of road within 40 minutes.

The first was a five-car pile-up on the A2 flyover at the Black Prince in Bexley at just before 6pm last Wednesday.

Three police cars struggled to get to the scene of the accident as traffic blocked the flyover in both directions.

Bourne Road was restricted to one lane as traffic backed up there and into Gravel Hill. Two people were slightly injured in the crash.

In the second accident at around 6.30pm, a tanker carrying 40 tonnes of cooking oil hit a car and then jack-knifed into a lamppost in Gravel Hill.

One resident said she believed the car had braked to avoid a boy chasing a football into the road.

The fire brigade was called to deal with oil spilling into the roadway but no-one was hurt. Traffic was directed around the accident and roads in the area remained partially closed until 8.15pm.

Residents and St Columba's RC Boys' School, Halcot Avenue, have been fighting on safety grounds to stop a footpath being created as a new exit from the school into Gravel Hill.

They say last week's accident shows how dangerous the new exit could be for the boys.