As a huge pall of purple-black smoke blotted out the sun from South and Central London this evening (Monday), fire brigades from all over the south suburbs fought a fierce blaze at London's biggest rubber dump, at Carshalton Road, Mitcham Junction. Thousands of tonnes of scrap rubber burned rapidly as firemen fought to get water playing on the blaze. Lack of water seriously handicapped efforts to subdue the flames. A nearby factory is reported to have been ignited, and gangs of men work to clear a "break" the scene the dump and nearby houses. The fire provided the most spectacular rush of smoke over the capital since the worst days of the blitz. 2 June 1947