A chunk of masonry crashed on to the pavement after falling from the roof of a historic building in Wolverhampton city centre.
And witnesses said it was “pure chance” that no one passing by was killed or injured.
It was dislodged from a second floor window in Lichfield Street near the Posada pub and smashed on to the pavement, scattering debris near shoppers.
It is the second time in five months that masonry has fallen from the top of the row of Victorian buildings.
In June, stonework which weighed about three stone landed in front of the Goose In The City pub, just inches from 19-year-old Tammy Shannon of Bishops Wood, South Staffordshire, who was waiting for a bus.
Police cordons were today still in place in front of BaeGo’s sandwich shop and the Posada after the masonry fell at around 2pm yesterday. A diversion has now been put in place for pedestrians around the spot until a full inspection is carried out.
Ruth Lawrence, a receptionist with Eyeland Opticians on Lichfield Street, said today: “It doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence, having bricks fall on top of where you go into work every day. Someone definitely needs to find out why it keeps happening before someone gets hurt.”
Naseer Sheh, manager of BaeGo’s sandwich shop, said: “This is one of the busiest streets in the city and if there’s any chance at all it’s not safe, the council needs to make it safe.” Passer-by Daniel Nock, 19, of Hadley Heath, Willenhall, said it was a “disgrace”. He added: “People have a right to walk through town without wearing a crash helmet for fear of falling bricks. I’ve been near here every time this has happened and all I can say is that so far it’s lucky no-one had been killed. It’s pure chance nobody was walking underneath.”
In July 2003, 10-month-old Trilby Graham was killed by falling masonry in West Bromwich’s High Street as she was being pushed along in a pram by her mother.
Gurdip Thandi, Wolverhampton City Council spokesman, said today: “We have requested that the building be scaffolded for public safety. When this is done we will request that the owner has a structural survey carried out on the facade of the building to ensure any other loose masonry is removed.”
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