New Oxford Street: One injured after double-decker bus crashes into building

One person has been taken to hospital after a double-decker bus crashed into a building in New Oxford Street, central London.

The number eight bus went through the plate-glass window of a unit which is being redeveloped as a gaming bar. It was empty at the time.

The Met Police said it was called at about 10:15 GMT to reports a bus had hit a pub.

Two people were treated by the ambulance service.

The bus has now been removed.

Eyewitness Hampus Gustafsson had got off another service when he saw a yellow bus "appearing to accelerate and smash" into the building, making "quite a noise".

He added: "I went to see what was going on. Only the driver was on the bus and he seemed really shocked."

The bus crashed into a unit between a bar and a coffee shop

Images of the scene posted on social media show a smashed front window of a building with shards of glass and dark metal lying on the pavement outside, along with a silver metal hubcap.

The bus was later lifted up on to blocks as attempts were made to remove it from the building and tow it away.

A woman who works around the corner from the crash site told the BBC that she heard "a huge bang, so I went outside and the driver was OK, but he seemed like he was in shock".

One eyewitness said she saw the driver being pulled out of the bus and taken to hospital

"Some construction workers nearby tried to help him and pull him out of the bus," said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous. "I saw one woman who had to run away from the bus to avoid it hitting her."

She added she also witnessed the bus driver being taken to hospital, but said "the woman was fine". "The bus wasn't going very fast, and thank God no-one else was hurt."

The fire service says road closures are in place while emergency services deal with the incident

Sam Woodhams, who was inside a nearby shop when the crash happened, told BBC London: "I heard an almighty crash and we kind of looked at each other [and thought] 'that's not normal'.

"We ran outside and just saw a bus inside of a building and people rushing round to see what happened."

The windscreen, front bumper and headlights on the bus were badly damaged in the crash

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said a man who was treated by paramedics had "left the bus before the brigade's arrival", adding: "There are currently no further reports of injuries".

"Firefighters evacuated around 200 people from the property using the building's rear entrance. Road closures remain in place and people are advised to avoid the area at this time," the spokesperson added.

"A structural engineer has declared the building safe with no further concerns. The incident was over for firefighters at 13:02 GMT."

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