Woman 'crushed by hoarding' outside H&M store in Hammersmith

The woman was crushed by a falling hoarding at the building site in Hammersmith
Ella Wills|Jacob Jarvis11 October 2018

A woman has been rushed to hospital after she was struck by a large hoarding outside an H&M store in west London.

The woman, who is aged in her 60s, was hit as she walked on King Street, Hammersmith on Thursday morning.

London Ambulance Service attended the scene shortly after 10.30am, and the woman was rushed by paramedics to a major trauma centre.

Scotland Yard said the woman was treated for injuries to her legs, which are not believed to be life-threatening, following the incident.

Eyewitnesses told the Standard "a chipboard wall around seven foot high" hit the woman after it was blown off by the wind.

H&M has apologised and said it is investigating the incident with its contractors.

Scotland Yard said the woman was treated for injuries to her legs

A worker in a nearby business, who declined to be named, said her friend saw the incident and was "scared" by it.

"She said the wind took it [the hoarding] and it started falling from one end. Then the whole thing started to fall.

"People were trying to grab it," she said.

After that the hoarding, described as a chipboard wall around seven feet in height, hit the woman.

She and another of her colleagues said that they "hope she's alright", with regards to the victim.

A staff member in a nearby cafe said they saw the hoarding being moved after spotting the woman on the floor.

"I thought she [the woman] just fainted or something," she said.

After the incident one ambulance attended the scene, she added.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Shortly after 10.40am on Thursday, October 11 we were alerted to an incident in King Street, W6.

"A woman in her 60s was treated by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) for injuries to her legs.

"It is believed the woman was injured by a fallen wooden hoarding. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

"The Health and Safety Executive has been informed."

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called at 10.38am today to King Street, Hammersmith to reports of an incident.

"We sent an ambulance crew to the scene.

"We treated a woman at the scene and took her as a priority to a major trauma centre."

A spokesman for H&M said: "Safety and security is of the utmost importance to us, and we are very sorry to learn that a member of the public was injured outside one of our sites.

"We are investigating this incident with out contractors."

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