Man falls through the roof at London Fashion Week show

The Fashion East Spring/Summer 15 show at London Fashion Week. A man has been injured falling through the roof during the show. Photo / AP

A show at London Fashion Week went ahead yesterday despite being interrupted by a builder crashing through the roof and falling about 9 metres to the ground.

International press and buyers and fashion lovers had gathered at see the Fashion East collection when the workman crashed through the corrugated roof of Topshop's Show Space in central London.

The London Ambulance Service said the man, who is in his 30s, suffered a back injury and was taken "as a priority" by road to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, accompanied by a doctor.

Worried audience members were left wondering why the show was not stopped.

Blogger ZOE LDN tweeted the incident.

A man just fell through the roof of the topshop show space in front of me and I'm shaking. I saw his head hit the scaffolding

— Zoe London (@zoelondondj) September 16, 2014

The show is currently on going so I don't know if he's okay but I'm praying he is. We are all visibly shaken after witnessing that.

— Zoe London (@zoelondondj) September 16, 2014

Ceiling collapse at Fashion East #lfw one man falls through. Hoping he is okay. pic.twitter.com/VYQAoXPCCe

— Zoe London (@zoelondondj) September 16, 2014

To be honest I'm pretty upset that the show carried on going. It was unfortunate, but we all saw the man fall. They could have stopped.

— Zoe London (@zoelondondj) September 16, 2014

Fashion East, a project aimed at helping to nurture emerging young designers through the difficult early stages of their career, receives sponsorship funding from high street fashion chain Topshop, Topman and the Greater London Authority.

Topshop said it did not stop the show because the builder was dealt with immediately.

A spokesman said: "We're aware that people are asking why we didn't stop the show. As soon as we realised what had happened, medical staff and production security were taking care of him.

"The builder was working on an adjacent building site to the Topshop show space and walked on the corrugated glass roof on top of the space - as to why he walked on it we do not know yet - but the slate of glass gave way. He fell in an area to the back of the stage."

For those at the #TopshopShowspace earlier for @Fashion_East the worker from the adjacent building is being cared for by medical staff.

— Topshop (@Topshop) September 16, 2014

The London Ambulance Service was alerted about the accident at 1.18pm.

A spokesman said: "We sent an ambulance crew and London's Air Ambulance to the scene. We treated a man reported to be in his 30s for a back injury.

"He was taken to The Royal London Hospital, as a priority, by road ambulance, escorted by the doctor from London's Air Ambulance."

This isn't the first instance of catwalk-related drama.

In 2005, Hilary Alexander, then Fashion Director of The Daily Telegraph, narrowly escaped injury when lights at New York designer Diane Von Furstenberg's spring/summer 2006 show fell from the ceiling.

And in 1999 photographers boycotted a Jean Paul Gaultier because of working conditions that they deemed to be unsafe.

- Indpendent