A YOUNG girl was hit by a “large” block of concrete which fell from a building in Leigh Broadway.

A piece of the stone facade fell from a building above shops in Leigh, Broadway, at about 11 am on Sunday, February 5.

The stone, which fell from approximately 10 metres, struck a young girl in the forehead and badly cut, an eye-witness has told the Echo.

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Southend Council says an investigation has found the building, which has netting up to protect pedestrians from falling stones, “may need some work to make it safe”.

A cordon has been put in place for the time being to prevent access to the pavement near where the stone fell.

The victim, whose identity has not been confirmed, was taken to hospital; at this point the extent of her injuries are unclear.

“With how big the stone was, if she was one step further ahead it would have struck her on the top of the head and she could have died,” the eye-witness who did not wish to be named said.

“Several passers-by were also within a metre of another large piece of stone which smashed onto the pavement.”

After being informed an ambulance would take up to 45 minutes to arrive, a kind member of the public drove the child and her parent to Southend Hospital, the eye-witness said.

“I don’t know how badly hurt she was, but she was alert and conscious when they got in the car, “he added.

Councillor Steven Wakefield, responsible for highways, transport and parking, said: “Our highways team were made aware of an incident on Sunday afternoon, where some concrete fell from a building in Leigh Broadway.

“We understand a child was injured but do not have any further details. An initial inspection has found that the building may need some work to make it safe, and we have urgently contacted the owners of the building to arrange a more detailed inspection as they have responsibility for the maintenance of the property.

The independent Shoebury Ward councillor added: “We have closed the pathway in both directions and will only reopen it once we are assured any issues have been fixed.”