The London Assembly has urged mayor Boris Johnson to give his support to a replacement Woolwich ferry.

A recent consultation held by Transport for London (TfL) showed the public were split on the best way to connect districts on either side of the famous River Thames, with around half backing a crossing in Woolwich and the others calling for a new Gallions Reach ferry linking Thamesmead and Beckton.

However, the London Assembly said the latter could not be delivered until 2017 at the earliest, whereas the former can be ready much sooner.

Darren Johnson, Green member of the assembly, said that building a completely new link would be costly and harmful to the environment.

"The infrastructure on either side of the river supporting the Woolwich ferry is already in place so TfL should be investing in the current service," he remarked.

Last month, the Department for Transport launched a separate consultation in order to gauge the public's views on a potential Lower Thames Crossing, with respondents given three different options to consider.