Workers who saw a man struck and killed by a falling shop sign have told how passers-by desperately tried to save him.
The man, aged in his early 20s, was knocked unconscious by a 30ft William Hill metal hoarding that came loose and landed on him as he was walking past on Camden Road at 5pm yesterday.
Members of the public dashed to help the victim with six men coming together to lift the hoarding to free the man and enable paramedics to try and resuscitate him on the pavement.
The man was rushed to University College Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. An investigation has now been launched amid claims the sign, said to have been blown down by a gust of wind, had been loose for up to a month.
Dale Ambrose, Raymond Phelan and Andrew Mitchell were working in the hardware store two doors down when they heard the crash.
Mr Ambrose, 30, a shop assistant, said: “We were pulling our delivery into the shop and I heard a loud bang. It was like a skip being put down.
“I came out and saw members of the public running towards this huge piece of metal on the floor.”
Colleague Raymond Phelan, 26, added: “He was trapped under the sign, which was heavy. It needed six men to pull it off him.
“It must have struck him on the side of the head. He was lying on his back. I turned away as they lifted the sign from his head. It had just cracked him on the side of the skull. There was a huge amount of blood.”
Their manager, Andrew Mitchell, 39, said: “I had walked under that sign moments before. It could have been anyone. It is amazing that more people weren’t hurt.”
Witnesses said the smartly-dressed man, wearing tan shoes and chinos, appeared to have been walking down the busy street alone.
Brian Holliday, manager of a framing shop next to the bookmakers said: “There was a young chap who was just in front of this guy who told me he felt one of those pigeon spike barriers fall on his shoulder. He looked up and saw the sign falling. He said if he hadn’t felt it he probably would have been crushed as well.”
Read More
Ken Osbourne, 28, who works in Woody Grill next door, said he was surprised nothing had been done to secure the 30ft long aluminium and wood sign which ran the length of the betting shop.
He said: “It had been hanging off for about a month. I thought they would’ve done something about it before. It’s a massive sign.”
A joint police and Camden council health and safety investigation has been launched.
Camden council cabinet member for community safety, Councillor Abdul Hai, said: “This is tragic incident and our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this sad time.
“Our health and safety and building control teams attended the scene immediately to take the necessary action to make sure there was no further danger to the public from the building.”
A spokesman for William Hill said: “Following the tragic events in Camden on Monday evening, William Hill is extending full co-operation to the authorities as they seek to understand the circumstances leading to this deeply regrettable and unforeseen accident.
“We would like to express our sincere condolences and sympathy to the family for their loss.”
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Police were called at about 4.55pm to reports of a man injured in Camden Road. Officers and paramedics attended and the man, believed to be aged in his twenties, was taken to a central London hospital for treatment. He died there a short while later.”
