A KEY Thames crossing will remain closed after engineers gave up trying to fix a troublesome lift - but there may be hope in sight.

The Greenwich Foot Tunnel has seen a number of closures in recent months and has barely opened throughout February.

Greenwich Council, which operates the crossing from Cutty Sark to Island Gardens, has now admitted the lift will remain closed until work on the stairs has been completed - which could be as early as next week.

“Regrettably, the Council has now had to take the decision to close the Greenwich Foot Tunnel temporarily while refurbishment work on the stairs is completed,” said a spokeswoman.

“Greenwich Council apologises for the inconvenience caused to users. We wish to stress that this is very much a temporary situation with the newly refurbished stairs expected to reopen by the end of February”

Without the tunnel open, cyclists from south London who work in Canary Wharf have been forced to Tower Bridge to get across the Thames.

And many are angry at what they claim is a lack of information coming from the council, which only posted news of the latest closure after an online blogger exposed it.

“Sadly their recent record in keeping people informed about the opening hours of the tunnel has reached new depths of incompetence,” said Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon.

“To suddenly close such an important route without proper publicity simply shows a total disregard for the many pedestrians and cyclists who rely on this vital link.”

The overall refurbishment, run jointly with the Woolwich tunnel, is costing �11.5 million and is intended to improve security and safety in the two 100-year-old facilities.