£1.3bn boost for Port of London

The Port of London Authority is responsible for the tidal Thames

The Port of London is to receive an investment boost of up to £1.3bn over the next 10 years, a report says.

The report, commissioned by the Port of London Authority (PLA) said this would include £769m over the next five years.

The PLA said the investment would come from the companies which used the port as they improved their facilities.

More than 30,000 people are employed in terminal operations, said the report by independent consultants SQW Ltd, and a further 5,000 employed indirectly.

PLA chief executive Steve Cuthbert said: "This new report emphasises the importance of the port and its related marine activities to the wider economy and for employment in the regions it serves."

The PLA is responsible for the tidal part of the River Thames from Teddington to the estuary.

The Port of London adds £3.41bn to the economy of London and the South East every year.