Rescue in Piccadilly Circus

These were the dramatic scenes as a rescue helicopter brought streets around one of London's most famous landmarks to a standstill.

The air ambulance landed in Piccadilly Circus last night to treat a woman trapped beneath a Tube train.

Emergency services cordoned off surrounding streets and tourists watched as the pilot hovered above Tower Records before landing in a box junction.

The woman, who was cut free from under a train, was airlifted to hospital where she is said to be in a serious but stable condition.

One onlooker said: "Hundreds of people just poured out of the station. They were told to leave the area immediately as about five police cars descended.

"People were wondering whether a bomb had gone off. When the air ambulance arrived we realised that someone must have been badly hurt and needed to get to hospital quickly. It was all very dramatic."

Last year nearly 7,000 people were transported to hospital by air ambulance. In June, its managers appealed for charitable donations to fight a cash crisis. About ?400,000 has to be found every year to keep it in the air.