A 20-foot wide sinkhole has opened up on a quiet residential street swallowing up the entire road - and a passing motorbike.
Emergency services rushed to seal off Martens Avenue, Bexleyheath after the tarmac caved in about 9pm on Tuesday.
It remains unclear what caused the rupture in the road.
Drone images show the hole taking up the entire width of the tarmac road and said to be more than 16 foot deep.
Neighbours claimed on social media a motorcyclist did not see the huge hole and rode into the crater.
Mick Stevens, 49, who lives next to the hole, told Mail Online: “I parked on the road at 9pm and thought ‘what the hell is that?’
“There were one or two people standing there looking at something.
“Then a motorbike came speeding along and tried to jump over the hole. He must have thought he was Evel Knievel or something.”
Mr Stevens added: “He fell into it with this big bike, then got out and started shouting ‘I need a taxi, I need a taxi’ and then ran off. The police and fire brigade were here for hours.”
Darren, who chose not to give his last name, said a motorcyclist had a “lucky escape” after his bike fell into the sinkhole.
He told the PA news agency: “It happened just outside my house and no one was injured as far as I am aware, thankfully, but the individual on the bike got away with a lucky escape.
“He left the scene before the emergency services arrived.
“It has been pretty exciting but also scary as we have been informed that we might have to be evacuated if things progress.
“The road is still shut, emergency services have left now and it is only Thames Water services remaining.”
BEXLEYHEATH update: It’s swallowed a motorbike! Pic Mike Stevens. #MartensAvenue #Sinkhole pic.twitter.com/tOPQwOGwUI
— UK News in Pictures (@UKNIP247) (@uknip247) June 21, 2022
The residential road remained closed to traffic and pedestrians on Wednesday.
Liam Edwards, 25, who lives on Leysdown Avenue, said he heard a “massive thud” as part of the neighbouring road collapsed.
Mr Edwards told PA: “I live on the road next to it and I heard a massive thud.
“I saw there was a motorbike inside it and I spoke to one of the neighbours right by it and (he said) he had moved his van just five minutes prior otherwise that would have also been in the hole.
“Nobody was hurt, although it was a scary experience for the ones living opposite it.
“The whole place now has no police presence but you couldn’t get near it if you tried.
No injuries were reported but a motorbike was pictured lying on its side inside the hole.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Police were called to Martens Avenue, Bexleyheath, shortly before 21.00hrs on 21 June to reports of a large sinkhole.
“There are no reported injuries.”
London Fire Brigade said they were called to the 5-metre-deep sinkhole at 9pm.
A spokesman said: “We helped make the scene safe and the incident was over for crews by 10.28pm.”
