Reading scaffolding collapse injures three

Nobody was trapped under scaffolding which collapsed at an old shopping centre, firefighters have said.

The structure came down just after 11:15 BST in Garrard Street, Reading.

Crews used thermal imaging equipment to search the site, which used to be the Friars Walk shopping centre, after initial fears there were casualties under the rubble.

Three people - a site worker and a couple who had been passing by - were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Tony Heselton, incident commander for South Central Ambulance Service, said the worker suffered a head injury while the woman had an ankle injury and her partner suffered shock.

Work to clear the debris began on Thursday evening after emergency services were confident that no-one was trapped.

• Live updates: Reading scaffolding collapse

The structure came down just after 11:15 BST in Garrard Street, Reading

Witness Louis Stead said he saw the corner of the building fall with an "almighty crash and lots of dust and debris".

"It was horrifying, very shocking and very concerning," he said.

Taxi driver Jahangir Shan told the BBC he drove past the scaffolding "five or six seconds" before it collapsed.

"The first thing I thought about was my daughter's face, it brought tears to my eyes," he said.

"I was very lucky. It sounded like thunder. A lot of people were running down the road shouting out names hoping to get a response."

Garrard Street has been closed in both directions and people are urged to avoid the area

A witness called Amy told the Press Association she was having coffee on the 14th floor of the nearby Thames Tower building when she saw the scaffolding fall.

She said: "There was a lady at the end... I saw her being pulled out. She was moving around so I think she was OK.

"There was a worker in the rubble as it fell but his fall looked like it was broken and he was able to jump out of it."

Another witness, Gearoid Fallon, added: "The building itself is being torn down so I just assumed it was part of a demolition thing.

"A few of the work crew looked quite distraught."

Thames Valley Police said it had temporarily closed the nearby NCP car park to the public, but there were "no concerns" about the building's structure.

Witness Sabina Jeske said she had been chatting to a client when they heard a builder shouting at people to "run away".

"People started running away and when everything collapsed one lady was caught by the scaffolding and cut her hand," she added.

A builder, who was working on a scaffolding site across the road from the collapse, said: "We heard a loud bang. It sounded unusual... so I stuck my head around the corner and saw the aftermath of the scaffolding collapsing across the street."

Emergency services have extended the cordon in Garrard Street

Garrard Street has been closed in both directions and people have been urged to avoid the area. Greyfriars Road and Station Hill were both closed, but have now been reopened.

The derelict shopping centre is being demolished as part of a £500m housing and retail development at Station Hill in Reading.

The BBC reported in June that property firm Lincoln MGT had snapped up the highly sought-after development site, becoming its third owner in 13 years.