The heart-stopping moment a toddler dangles from a ledge in London has been captured on camera, as distressed witnesses were left powerless below.
The youngster is suspended above a pawnbrokers on Ilford High Road in East London, as onlookers gather to witness the nerve-wracking scenes.
Bystanders watch helplessly from the pavement as the girl grips on with all her strength.
At one stage a concerned woman appears from a lower window, calling up to the child as a police officer and man carry out the rescue operation.
A shirtless man, wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, positions himself directly beneath the girl, standing alongside an officer who has raced to the scene.
Both men are positioned on the rooftop at the instant when the young girl’s hold finally fails.
Gasps ring out from the crowd at this stomach-churning moment as the child falls from the ledge.
However, the member of the public successfully catches the girl as they are both steadied by the police officer.
The crowd then expresses collective relief, with applause and words of encouragement. The girl was subsequently passed back through the lower window from which the woman had appeared.
Both the man and the police officer then embrace as the crowd applauds them.
The Met Police confirmed officers were called to the location shortly after 3.20pm on Tuesday following reports of concerns for a child’s safety. A Met Police spokesperson said: “Officers were called to Ilford High Road at 15:23hrs on Tuesday, June 9, following concerns for the safety of a child climbing onto a window ledge.
“The girl was bought to safety by 15:32hrs by an attending officer and member of the public.
“They did not receive any injuries.”
Remarkably, the youngster was rescued in just nine minutes.