A street in Stoke Newington is cordoned off this afternoon after a huge scaffolding structure collapsed onto a car. Homes in the area have also been evacuated.

Three storeys of wood and metal crashed to the ground on Stoke Newington Church Street at around 7.30am. A witness said it "tore away" from a closed public library and fell onto a car. The driver of the car was trapped underneath the structure before being rescued safely. Meanwhile, multiple residents were evacuated from their homes by the London Fire Brigade.

A local cafe owner who helped to rescue the trapped driver said: "I was walking to open my shop at about 7.30am and it just tore away from the building. I blinked and it happened.

"There was a car under it and me and a couple of neighbours rushed to help the driver. We pulled him out."

Emergency services closed the road in both directions between Edward's Lane and Albion Road. Drivers and pedestrians are being advised to avoid the area and find alternative routes.

Local bus services are also being diverted. The 73, 393 and 476 routes are unable to serve the area and bus passengers should expect lengthy delays.

As reported by MyLondon, the scaffolding had been in place at Stoke Newington Library for almost three years. The Grade II-listed building was shut last March ahead of refurbishment work.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "We were called at 0743 today to a report of scaffolding that had collapsed onto a road, including onto a vehicle, on Stoke Newington Church Street. It was reported that a man was potentially trapped inside the vehicle but firefighters discovered upon arrival that he had been able to leave his vehicle safely.

"He was assessed at the scene by firefighters but was uninjured. There were no reports of any other injures. Some local residents have been evacuated as a precaution and a cordon remains in place with a road closure near the junction of Albion Road.

"Two fire engines from Stoke Newington and Holloway fire stations attended the scene alongside a fire rescue unit from Bethnal Green fire station."

Hackney Council said in a post on X: ""Stoke Newington Church St is closed between Edward’s Ln and Albion Rd for traffic & pedestrians due to fallen scaffolding. Police & council teams are on the scene, thankfully no one was injured.

"Buses are on diversion until further notice. Please avoid the area if possible."

A shopkeeper who was working at the time of the collapse said: "We’re lucky it is the school holidays as normally there are lots of children around at that time. It could have been a lot worse."

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