Giant boulder falls just inches away from diners at busy restaurant

Diners at a high end restaurant were left terrified after a huge boulder broke off the top of the building and missed them by mere inches.

Customers at Ottomezo Cafe in Kensington, west London, were nearly crushed by the huge block which fell after a huge gust of wind hit the Grade II building.

It crashed just milimeters from a young woman’s head, instead bashing into the leg of her chair.

The impact was so loud onlookers said it ‘felt like an earthquake’, MailOnline reports.

Customers were told to move from their table close to the building as staff feared more masonry cold fall.

One diner, Emma Baxter-Wright, said: ‘My God, it could have killed someone. We were on the table and they said, “Ladies, you’re just not allowed to do that. You could be dead”.

‘They said if we sat there we were taking out lives in our hands.’

A fire engine arrived within ten minutes and worked to make the area safe.

A crater was left at the point of impact, with the surrounding pavement and a dog covered in dust.

The restaurant’s owner Francesco Cicoria, 58, he was in shock after it fell to the ground.

He said: ‘Luckily there were not many people around. But it was very scary.

‘I didn’t expect it – there was no sign of it. It just came from above. It was unexpected. A shock.

‘People were very relaxed – of course the person sitting there was a bit shocked. Now, you’re looking up watching out every time you walk. He said it’s very rare it happens. One in a million.

‘I was there – I was talking outside. I was sitting there 20 minutes before it. I was lucky the lady came and she wanted a table so I stood up. But if I hadn’t otherwise… It’s scary stuff.’

The building is just a short walk from the homes of many famous faces, including Sir Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham and Robbie Williams.

Coco Cottam, 22, had gone for a drink alongside her dog Bindo when the masonry fell.

She was opposite the girl who narrowly escaped being hit, and said she would have certainly died if her seat was just a few inches to the left.

Coco explained: ‘It was quite scary. My dog was covered in dust. It was a big gust of wind and a small bang.

‘There was a girl who was sitting there and it went into the leg of her chair. She was sitting right next to it.

‘If it had been a foot over she’d have been dead, for sure. You can see the hole in the pavement.

‘Everyone acted really differently. The lady who nearly got killed stood here for about an hour – without a drink. She just stood there.’

A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesperson said: ‘Our building control inspectors have been to the site and determined that the remaining structure is in a stable condition and our health and safety team is now investigating what happened. 

‘We take building safety very seriously and this is a stark reminder that businesses should undertake regular condition surveys to ensure their premises are safe for customers.’

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