Baby boy hit by falling lamppost dies

A baby boy who was hit by a falling lamppost died today.

The one-year-old boy, whose name has not been released, was hit by the lamppost in Chiswick, west London, on Tuesday.

A 62-year-old woman who suffered a back injury was also taken to hospital but was discharged yesterday.

The boy was taken by air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital, in east London, soon after the incident and was pronounced dead in hospital at about 5.30am today.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "A baby boy seriously injured by a falling lamppost in Chiswick has sadly died.

"He was pronounced dead at hospital at about 5.30am this morning.

"A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course."

The woman, who was treated at Charing Cross Hospital in west London, was not related to the baby and was not pushing his pram when the lamppost fell.

A police spokesman said the baby was with a carer, who was not injured.

The incident, at the junction of Heathfield Terrace and Sutton Court Road, is being investigated by officers from Hounslow CID and the Specialist Crime Directorate jointly with the Health and Safety Executive.

A Hounslow council spokeswoman said the incident was "an awful tragedy" and the council was co-operating fully with the police and Health and Safety Executive investigations.

She said work was being carried out in the area as part of the Turnham Green traffic and transport improvement scheme, which was designed to provide faster journeys for bus passengers.

The scheme also includes improvements to pavements around Turnham Green, opposite the scene of the incident, and to some roads and crossing facilities for pedestrians.

A spokeswoman said the council is carrying out the improvement programme but had been been waiting for Virgin Media contractors to move cabling.

She said no contractors were on-site at the time of the incident.