Hundreds of mourners collapse as they wait in queue to see Queen Lying in State

Hundreds of people have fainted in the queue to see the Queen Lying in State at Westminster Hall, the London Ambulance Service has confirmed.

In total, paramedics had cared for 435 people along the queue route and surrounding areas up until midnight at the end of Thursday September 15, the service said.

Of those, 42 had to be taken to hospital.

It come as waiting time in the queue grows to an estimated 24 hours, with vast numbers of people in the line stretching back to Southwark Park.

The majority of incidents dealt with by emergency service staff were faints and collapses, which resulted in head injuries, the LAS said.

LAS director for ambulance operations, Darren Farmer, said: “I know our staff and volunteers feel the same pride and honour in being able to serve Her Majesty – and care for Londoners – as we mark her Lying in State and funeral.

“Over the next few days, we will have about 120 extra staff deployed across our 999 control rooms and on the road, which will rise to 300 extra staff on duty on the day of the funeral."

St John's Ambulance also has 2,000 volunteers in attendance to assist with anyone feeling unwell over the course of the week. The charity’s teams cared for over 200 people on Wednesday.

It has issued the following advice for those joining the queue:

• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing

• Stay hydrated and bring snacks

• Be prepared for all weather conditions and cooler nights

It's estimated that 1,000 support staff from trained paramedics to volunteers from charities are helping to assist those testing their physical endurance over the 10-mile line.

Former footballer David Beckham was spotted in the queue. He said the length of the line showed how much the Queen meant to the British public.

The remarkable life of the Queen remembered in our latest episode of What You Need To Know