A young woman has been rushed to hospital in a serious condition after she was hit by a double decker bus in Tulse Hill this morning.

A witness described how the 23-year-old lay under the bus screaming after the incident shortly before 9.45am.

It is believed she walked into the road while talking on her mobile and was hit by the number 68 bus.

An air ambulance landed at the scene to fly the woman, described by police as in a "serious" condition, to hospital.

However the helicopter was not used and she was taken by road ambulance to Kings College Hospital at 10.22am after being stabilised by paramedics at the scene.

According to the London Amulance Service her injuries to her pelvis and lower back were not life-threatening.

The incident, which took place just before 10am on the one way system opposite Tulse Hill station, plunged the area into traffic chaos, as both the busy South Circular A205 and Norwood Road were shut off by police.

Speaking from the scene, Osey Bobie, from cab firm Station Rise Cars, said: "It is complete madness. The area is gridlocked."

He added: "The accident was very serious. The woman was screaming under the bus, but the paramedics arrived and calmed her down. It was a long time before she was taken away.

"A lot of people were saying she walked in to the road while talking on her phone when the lights were green and that was when she was hit."

A police spokesman said local road closures were still in place as an investigation into the incident continued.

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