A mother and child had a "narrow escape" following the partial collapse of a building in West Hampstead.

Emergency services responded at around 9.35am on Monday morning to masonry between two buildings crashing to the ground at the junction of West End Lane and Honeybourne Road.

Mark Durban, partner at ML Estates opposite, who saw the incident happen, said: "It was a 12foot peice of masonry between two sites. It narrowly missed a mother, who was pushing her baby in a buggy, literally by inches.

"She was screaming in pain and we didn't know if it was from falling stone or the shock.

"It could have been a tragedy. It was a complete freak accident."

He added:  "These buildings are 120 years old, they're victorian buildings.

This Is Local London: Pillar that crashed to the ground narrowly missing a mum pushing a buggyPillar that crashed to the ground narrowly missing a mum pushing a buggy (Image: David Nathan)

"It's just some sort of elongated pillar with newel post at the top, it's just come away from the mortar and the brick. 

"This could have been so much worse."

A spokesperson for London Ambulance service said crew attended and assessed one adult "before taking them to a minor injuries unit".

A police spokesperson added: "Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening."