It has been dubbed by residents as "the bridge the council forgot", but now the stretch of road that connects Battersea and Fulham may be getting a big overhaul.

Len James is part of the Friends of Wandsworth Bridge group and said it has been "left to crumble" for 80 years.

"Millions of Londoners rely on this arterial infrastructure which has taken the burden many times while both Putney and Hammersmith Bridge have been out of action and repaired," he said.

"lt is in a dire state with plastic barriers weighted down with three sandbags and tied to the bridge with cable ties to stop children falling through the gap, itself an unsightly temporary repair."

But a permanent fix could soon be carried out as early as next February.

A council spokesman said: “Our engineers carry out regular inspections of the bridges we manage and maintain to ensure they all remain in good condition and open for the travelling public to use.

"In order to keep them in good working order we carry out periodic upgrades and refurbishments and the next one at Wandsworth Bridge is due to commence in February.

“This will be a £6m project, lasting around ten months, that will focus on structural repairs, resurfacing, uplighting and corrosion protection, plus repainting of the bridge structure.

"It will ensure the bridge is in excellent condition for many years to come.”

But Mr James said the group has heard similar promises before.

"We have been in touch with Wandsworth Council who said on two occasions it would be refurbished and repainted between 2015 and 2018, we are still waiting," he added.