A little girl has been airlifted to hospital after fallin from a second floor window at a coffee shop. The horrifying accident took place at a branch of Caffè Nero in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on Friday afternoon.
Emergency services rushed to the scene where the little girl laid on the pavement screaming before being airlifted to hospital.
She is understood to have plunged from an upstairs bay window and then onto the shop’s awning before hitting the ground.
A witness, who did not want to be named, “There’s two floors on top of Caffè Nero and we have no idea what window it was from,” reports KentOnline.
They added: “I just heard a lady scream with fear and then a little girl laying in the floor screaming and crying.”
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s environmental health team has now served a prohibition on the cafe which stops customers accessing upstairs seating and a full investigation has been launched by the authority.
A spokesperson for Caffè Nero told Express.co.uk: “We understand from the police the little girl suffered minor injuries, which we are very pleased to hear.
“We wish her a full and speedy recovery and will help with any investigation.”
A spokesperson for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s said: “We were very upset to hear about this incident and our thoughts are with the child and their family. We wish the child a full and speedy recovery.
“On Friday afternoon after we were notified about the incident, members of the Council’s Environmental Health team visited the premises and served a Health and Safety Prohibition Notice prohibiting access to the upstairs seating area by customers and/or members of the public; this remains in place.
“Under the Council’s health and safety enforcement responsibilities we are continuing a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident.”
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) confirmed it was called to reports of a child falling from a height, reports The Sun.
A spokesperson said: “I can confirm that SECAmb was called to reports of a child falling from height in Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells, at approximately 2.25pm on Friday (16 February).
“Ambulance crews attended the scene and were joined at the scene by Air Ambulance Charity Kent, Surrey, Sussex.
“The child was assessed and treated before being airlifted to hospital in London for further checks.”
A spokesperson for Royal Victoria Place offered their “best wishes” to the family of the child, reports the Sun, and said that as the premises is leased by the chain it wouldn’t comment further.
The spokesperson said: “The safety of our visitors, colleagues and retailers is the utmost priority.
Express.co.uk has approached Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Royal Victoria Place for comment.
