Commuters will be forced to find alternative routes to work and play this week as tube strikes disrupt the northern line at stations including Colliers Wood and South Wimbledon.

Strikes on London Underground are due to cause major disruption with a majority of lines running a reduced service.

Transport for London says it will run as many services as possible on lines during the 48-hour strike, which will start at 9.30pm this evening and end on the morning of Friday February 7.

A second 24 hour strike will start at around 9.30pm on Tuesday, February 11 until the morning of Friday, February 14.

Members of the RMT and TSSA unions are to strike in a row over plans to close ticket offices and introduce 24-hour services.

Northern line trains will run on the entire line every five minutes via both the Bank and Charing Cross branches but they will not stop at Clapham North, Clapham South, Colliers Wood, South Wimbledon, or Tooting Bec stations.

District line trains to Wimbledon are not affected and overground trains are said to be running as normal.

Jean Betts, 41, of University Road, Colliers Wood, is able to work from home to avoid the industrial action.

She said: "I'm very lucky I can work from home or I wouldn't have been able to get in to work."

The conference and events manager at a catering company based in Angel, north London, said: "It's annoying, but it happens.

"There's nothing we can do."

Commuter Lokmen Chekki, 30, of Marlborough Road, Colliers Wood, said: "It is a bit of a hassle.

"I work in Garratt Lane, Wandsworth, so I usually get off at Tooting Broadway then I get a bus.

"I have lived here for two or three years and it is usually quite reliable."

Hundreds of extra buses are said to be available on key route affected by the strikes, with volunteers and TFL employees on hand to give advice.

Chef Rob Marr will have at least half an hour added on to his morning commute to Deptford from Colliers Wood because he has to find an alternative route in to work.

Mr Marr said: "It is what it is.

"I can see why they are doing it.

"I suppose we need to support them."

A normal service will operate on London Overground lines but some stations connected with underground stations will be affected.

There will be disruption to journeys on Wednesday and Thursday, when Tube services will start later and finish earlier than normal - trains will run from around 7am to 11pm.