A large sinkhole which led to a major road being closed has now been filled.

The crater, described as 3m wide and several metres deep, emerged in New House Lane, Northfleet, near Gravesend on Friday morning (February 10).

Images showed it had opened up on the road's grass verge outside a number of homes near the Lawrence Square parade of shops.

It is believed heavy rain caused it to open up further on Thursday night.

The sinkhole led to the road being closed between Harden Road and Dashwood Road while work was carried out by Southern Water to fix it.

However, the road has since reopened with traffic returning to normal.

The hole has also been filled with concrete and been plugged up with sand and dirt.

It comes after the water company carried out work from Friday.

Speaking before the hole was fixed, a spokesman for Southern Water confirmed the sinkhole had emerged due to “a leak on a water main in New House Lane”.

Its appearance was labelled “a disaster waiting to happen" by resident Paul Watts.

Mr Watts, whose sister lived directly opposite the hole and who himself lives in nearby Snelling Avenue, said: “Water mains can burst at any point so it will happen again somewhere.

"It must have been leaking for a little while too, and there was another in Greenhithe months ago which happened so it’s not just here.

"The hole didn't actually fill up with water though, so it makes you wonder how deep it is.

"They seem to open up when we get a bit of heavy rain, so who knows what will happen when another downpour comes."

Speaking on Friday, Mr Watts added: “It's got bigger as time has gone on [and] started off about the size of a black sack.

"It's right outside my sister's house and she called Kent Highways and heard them saying it's right underneath the road.

"If it is near the flats behind, then a disaster could be waiting to happen there.

"My son would normally walk past the hole on his way to school, but I told him to go a different way.

"My sister is obviously worried too living opposite it, but so would anyone if it opened up outside their house."

The hole was also less than a quarter of a mile away from Saint George's Church of England primary and secondary schools, as well as both Shears Green institutions and Bright Futures Children's Centre.

It comes less than two months after a large sinkhole emerged in Maidstone.

Part of the road and pavement collapsed near where Gatland Lane meets Farleigh Lane in Barming on December 18.