FUNDING for the south east spur of the £16bn Crossrail development - which includes Woolwich - has been secured, the Government has said.

The news follows reports that construction of the spur, which will include the Woolwich station and runs to Abbey Wood, could be postponed due to a row over funding.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a deal on October 5 where Crossrail will be funded equally by the Government, the private sector and borrowing against future fare revenue.

A spokeswoman from the Department for Transport said that funding was secured for the whole project and the spur would be completed at the same time as the rest.

The Crossrail route will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west across the capital into Essex and Kent in the east.

It will travel underground through the city centre between Paddington and east London.

Woolwich was initially dropped from the network, but a U-turn in March, following a News Shopper campaign, gave the go-ahead for the station to be included.

The first services are due to begin running in 2018.

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