Woman hurt as billboard collapses

A woman was taken to hospital after a large advertising billboard collapsed on her during the morning rush hour.

The heavy sign fell on to a pavement in Tooting, south London, at around 7.30am today, UK police said.

The woman, thought to be in her 30s, was injured as she was hit by the metal hoarding at the junction of Mellison Road and Mitcham Road, near Tooting Broadway Underground station.

Woman is crushed by falling billboard in London http://t.co/QAW2ry9Tmv pic.twitter.com/zOOVoj4ikW

— Metro (@MetroUK) May 12, 2015

She was taken to hospital with minor injuries and the scene was cordoned off.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said that the police were called at 7.35am to reports of a fallen billboard which had injured a woman.

“The ambulance, fire brigade and ourselves attended, and the woman, who is believed to be in her 30s, was taken to hospital with minor injuries,” they said.

The Health and Safety Executive has also been informed.

A spokeswoman for London Ambulance Service said it sent a number of different resources to the scene, including a response car and a hazardous area response team.

“We treated a woman, reported to be in her 30s, for leg and hip injuries. She was taken to St George’s Hospital as a priority,” the spokeswoman said.

Commuters said the incident caused traffic delays and “massive queues”.