A man has suffered serious injuries after being hit by a double-decker bus in London Road. 

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Police were called today at 9.25am to reports of the crash near the junction with Greenside Road, near Croydon University Hospital.

Witnesses reported that the man, who is in his mid-40s, ran out of a Tesco in London Road into the path of the northbound 109 bus.

Tesco staff and other witnesses claimed the man had been a shoplifter at the store.

Police have confirmed they were called twice this morning, once at 8.16am and again at 9.20am, to reports of a man shoplifting at the Tesco store on London Road.

Salon owner Marianne Simons, 39, said the man had appeared "lifeless" as he lay in the street.

She said: "By the time I got out there I just saw he had been hit and dropped to the floor.

"He looked lifeless. He was bleeding from his ear and he had a cut over his eye, and he was discoloured.

"I did see him move at one point - there was an Asian guy who looked like an out of hours doctor helping the ambulance staff, but then it went quiet again, and they were in the ambulance for a long time."

Bazil Fernandez, a customer assistant at the Tesco, said the man had run into the road and been hit by the front-left corner of the bus, at the traffic lights.

Mr Fernandez said the man had taken a bottle of wine from near the entrance of the shop, before dropping the alcohol and running out into the path of the oncoming bus.


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The owner of nearby Caribbean Food Stores, Gee, said the supermarket had experienced similar problems in the past.

He said: "Tesco doesn't have a security man until 10am - what people tend to do is come first thing in the morning and take whatever they can."

Gee, who did not give his last name, said the man had lay in the street for about 45 minutes while being treated by paramedics.

Frances Clifford, 30, said she saw the man lying in the road after the accident.

She said: "From what I heard he was trying to shoplift something from Tesco, ran out and got hit by a bus.

"He didn't look good."

London's Air Ambulance was seen landing at nearby Elmwood Junior School.

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A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the man had been taken to a south London hospital. His injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

Buses were diverted in London Road for about 90 minutes while the northbound lane was closed. It has since re-opened.

More to come.

For more travel and traffic visit www.croydonguardian.co.uk/traffic

Did you see what happened? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6351 or email chris.baynes@london.newsquest.co.uk