A man has been taken to hospital via air ambulance after a fall from a first floor window.

The air ambulance, a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance crew were called to treat the man, who is in his thirties, at the scene in Southchurch Avenue at 10.48am.

He was treated at the scene for about an hour before being taken via ambulance to the Kursaal car park, where the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance flew him to St George's Hospital in Tooting at about noon.

Witness Barry Woodhouse, 17, said: "I was stood outside Kursaal Tool Hire when I heard a shout and looked up to see him jump out of the window and hit the wall on the way down.

"He landed on the kerb and tried to pick himself up but he couldn't, so he dragged himself into the road.

"A few cars had to swerve to avoid him, I don't know if any of them hit him, though.

"He was screaming a lot and it wasn't a pretty sight."

Three police cars also blocked the road at various points to traffic before leaving at about noon.

East of England Ambulance Trust sent an ambulance and a rapid response vehicle.