Man has 'face ripped off' after being struck by falling sofa from luxury London block

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

A man had his face “ripped off” after he was struck by a sofa falling 130ft from the penthouse in a block housing a luxury hotel in London.

The unidentified man, believed to be in his twenties, was walking past W London Hotel, off Leicester Square, when the sofa – believed to be part of the rooftop furniture – fell on top of him at around 9am on Friday.

Shocked witnesses described seeing a pool of blood and a man screaming in pain.

“He looked like his face had been ripped off. It was raining and where the drops were hitting his face it was making him scream in agony,” one witness told The Sun.

Another witness, who works in a nearby hotel, added that they believed the sofa hit the back of the pedestrian’s head. “It was horrific.

“He was alive when the medics turned up because I saw him move his fingers,” they added.

The luxury five-star hotel, which runs eleven £9,533-a-month penthouses, has suites costing up to £2,800-a-night, with their cheapest rooms at £339-a-night.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed to The Independent they had been called to the scene, off Wardour Street, at 8.54am.

“The man in his 20s was taken to an East London hospital by air ambulance. His injuries are said to be critical but stable,” the spokesperson added.

Health and Safety officers from Westminster council are said to be investigating the incident.

The hotel confirmed it was aware of the accident, but said the furniture was believed to have come from one of the privately owned flats.