Diners at Kensington restaurant 'lucky to be alive' after huge piece of masonry falls inches from tables

Al fresco diners in west London were left terrified after a large piece of masonry crashed to the ground inches away from where they were eating.

Customers at Ottoemezzo Cafe were nearly hit by a heavy block which fell from the Grade II listed building in Kensington following a large gust of wind.

Onlookers compared the bang the stonework made as it came crashing down to an earthquake, with onlookers warning it “could have killed someone”.

The block narrowly missed one diner’s head, hitting her chair leg instead and cracking the pavement, the MailOnline reported.

Other customers were forced to move tables as staff feared that other sections of the building could drop off too.

Fashion writer and stylist Emma Baxter-Wright was told to move tables following the near-miss.

She 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 our lives in our hands.”

The Italian restaurant continued to trade following the incident as the London Fire Brigade assessed the damage.

Diner Coco Cottam, 22, also witnessed the incident and had been sat opposite the girl who was nearly hit by the masonry.

She said the unnamed girl would have died had her seat been inches to the left.

Ms Cottam 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. It's not ideal.”

A waitress at the restaurant describing hearing a “hard noise, such a horrible noise” as the masonry hit the ground.

She added: “I heard a noise, like something heavily broke. I thought an umbrella had collapsed…

“It was close. Imagine if that had happened to you - you are sitting having a drink and there's like this massive bang.

“We were just shocked at first. Somebody could be dead.”

The restaurant’s owner Francesco Cicoria, 58, told the MailOnline he was in shock after the crash.

“Luckily there were not many people around. But it was very scary,” he said.

“I didn't expect it - there was no sign of it. It just came from above. It was unexpected. A shock.

Now, you're looking up watching out every time you walk. He said it's very rare it happens. One in a million.”

Kensington and Chelsea Council has been contacted for comment.