Children injured and air ambulance sent in as giant slide collapses at fireworks event in Woking

Eight children are being treated for "potentially serious" injuries after a giant inflatable slide collapsed at a busy fireworks event.

An air ambulance was sent to the event site at Woking Park, Surrey, which was evacuated on Saturday evening.

Surrey Police encouraged visitors to go home and thanked the public for its co-operation in leaving.

A major incident was subsequently declared.

Surrey Police said: "We have declared a major incident following a number of people falling from an inflatable slide at the Woking Park fireworks display at around 7.30pm this evening.

"A number of children fell from the slide and were injured."

South East Coast Ambulance Service said that "multiple crews" were at the scene of the "significant incident".

An ambulance spokesperson said: "Our clinicians have treated seven children on scene for potentially serious injuries."

The patients were being transported to "major trauma centres" in London with the help of the air ambulance, the statement added.

On Twitter, the event organisers, Woking Fireworks, said: "We are all very shocked and distressed by events in the funfair this evening. We are focussing in assisting the emergency services in dealing with the injured children."

Andy Datson, 23, said he saw up to 40 children playing on the "flimsy" slide, which he estimated was about 30-foot tall at its highest.

"We had been walking past the slide earlier in the night and said it looked unsafe. It looked pretty flimsy to say the least," he said.

"There were far too many kids on it. It did not look as if there was an adult at the top of the slide and these kids were no more than 10 years old.

"It didn't look like it could hold that many people. I would say there was around 40 kids on it."

Mr Datson said he saw ambulances, "a lot of worried people" and what appeared to be children on the floor.

"It looked like there were too many children on it and the side area had given way," he said.

"If, heaven forbid, they fell from the top I would say it's at least 25 to 30 feet tall."

Local musician Anna Neale said she was among the hundreds of people who evacuated the park, which had been packed with families with young children.

The 36-year-old mother-of-two said: "We saw all the blue lights and saw the air ambulance arriving. We all evacuated very calmly. Everyone was just shocked."

The fireworks "extravaganza" had been due to start at 8pm.

A Health and Safety Executive spokeswoman said "initial enquiries" were being made.

A Woking Borough Council spokesman said: "We will be working with the police and relevant authorities to understand and explain what happened."