Boy, 6, thrown from 10th-floor of Tate Modern in 'critical condition' as teenager remains in custody - National

A MOTHER screamed ‘where’s my son’ after a six-year-old boy was thrown from a 10th-floor viewing platform at the Tate Modern art gallery in London.
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A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident yesterday.

The victim is in a London hospital after being found on a fifth-floor roof, the Metropolitan Police said.

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A police spokesman told PA that the child is ‘no longer in a life-threatening situation’.

Tate Modern art gallery in London. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA WireTate Modern art gallery in London. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
Tate Modern art gallery in London. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

‘He is critical, but stable,’ the spokesman added.

The 17-year-old male suspect had remained with members of the public on the 10th-floor viewing platform after the incident on Sunday afternoon, the force said.

They added that there was nothing to suggest that he is known to the victim.

Officers had been called to the gallery at around 2.40pm and the child was treated at the scene before being flown to hospital by London's Air Ambulance.

A member of the public walks past a closed sign at the Tate Modern art gallery in London, following the arrest of a 17-year-old male on suspicion of attempted murder after a six-year-old boy was thrown from the tenth floor viewing platform on Sunday. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA WireA member of the public walks past a closed sign at the Tate Modern art gallery in London, following the arrest of a 17-year-old male on suspicion of attempted murder after a six-year-old boy was thrown from the tenth floor viewing platform on Sunday. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
A member of the public walks past a closed sign at the Tate Modern art gallery in London, following the arrest of a 17-year-old male on suspicion of attempted murder after a six-year-old boy was thrown from the tenth floor viewing platform on Sunday. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
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Visitors reported on social media not being allowed in or out of the gallery while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Scotland Yard said a number of members of the public are assisting police with witness statements.

In an short update, Scotland Yard said: ‘Officers continue to work hard to establish the circumstances of yesterday's incident.

‘The six-year-old boy's condition remains the same and officers are supporting his family.

‘The male arrested is still in custody.’

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Administration worker Nancy Barnfield, 47, of Rochdale, was at the 10th-floor viewing gallery with a friend and their children when her friend heard a ‘loud bang’.

Ms Barnfield turned around and saw a woman screaming ‘where's my son, where's my son?’

Members of the public quickly gathered around a man who was nearby, she said.

Ms Barnfield said: ‘We did not notice the mum before, we noticed her after because she was hysterical by then.’

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She said the person who was restrained by members of the public before the police arrived ‘just stood there and was quite calm’.

Olga Malehevska was on the viewing platform with her four-year-old son when the incident took place and described what happened as ‘absolutely terrifying’.

The journalist from Ukraine said: ‘I was standing on the balcony with my little one and he was touching the fence and we were making pictures.’

She said she then heard a noise and there was some pushing. She pointed out that the platform was not overcrowded.

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‘I just felt like something is going on, I should take my child out of there immediately and we tried to go towards the exit,’ she said.

Ms Malehevska said she could hear people say ‘Oh my God, the boy dropped’, and also saw a woman crying, shaking and shouting ‘oh my son, my son’.

She said they were all kept inside the building for around an hour and 20 minutes.

A visitor, who did not want to give his name, said they could hear an air ambulance which had landed on the concrete walkway in front of the building.

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A group of uniformed police officers could be seen going into one of the gallery entrances at 4.53pm as the metal shutters were brought down and visitors were turned away.

BBC journalist Jonny Dymond, who was in the gallery at the time of the incident, said visitors were funnelled into a main hall while all exits were closed.

He added: ‘There were quite a lot of families with children, and security guards told us we couldn't leave.

‘There were at least two fire engines, 10 police cars and an incident control unit.

‘Parts of the exterior of the building were taped off.’

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Tate Modern remained closed for the rest of Sunday but will open on Monday as usual although the viewing platform will remain closed, a spokeswoman for the Tate said.

A photocall for a new exhibition which had been due to take place on Monday morning has been postponed, she added.

The spokeswoman said: ‘Tate is working closely with the police to help with their investigations.

‘All our thoughts are with the child and his family.’

The Tate Modern was the UK's most popular tourist attraction in 2018 after being visited 5.9 million times, according to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.

With the schools having broken up and holiday season begun, there are likely to have been thousands of visitors to the gallery on Sunday.