Homes and shops were evacuated after a collapsed chimney threatened to fall into the street.

Emergency services were called to the building in Northolt Road, South Harrow, yesterday at 1.24pm to reports that a building was insecure and in danger of collapsing onto the road and pavement.

Police were called to the scene by the London Fire Brigade with shops and flats from nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution.

Nick Shellis, of Shellis Roofing, contacted emergency services after spotting the chimney was loose.

He said: “I was just round there to check some of the roof tiles, but when I got into the loft I could see the whole of the chimney was teetering and could fall at any moment.

“For me the most important thing was to get out everyone out of the building. I went to the fire station and they closed the road straight away.

“I was just horrified when I saw it and I feared for everyone’s safety. They were kids playing around in the flats and the shops below were packed full of people.

“Someone could have been really bad hurt.”

Northolt Road was closed from 1.24pm between Eastcote Lane and Wargrave Road and finally reopened at 5.12pm.

Police say Harrow Borough Council and the landlord of the property were informed about the incident and engineers were on the scene while the area was made safe.