Thousands of shoppers watched in horror as a man fell from the balcony of a Birmingham shopping centre on Saturday (23 July). The man, in his 30's, plummeted from the third floor of the Bullring Shopping Centre onto the walkway below.

The shopping centre, which is next to Birmingham New Street station, was evacuated as emergency services arrived at the scene. A temporary screen was erected outside the Debenhams store to shield the man from shoppers, who were led away from the area by 30 security guards.

A spokeswoman for the centre told MailOnline: "We can confirm there was an incident at the centre this afternoon. Medical assistance was called immediately and the male in question has been taken to hospital by the emergency services for further medical attention."

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as shoppers were evacuated from the busy shopping area.

"Sad news from the Bullring. You never know what goes on in someone's mind and how fragile some people can be," said one person.

"Someone jumped off a balcony in the Bullring, first floor has been closed. Confirmed by @Topshop staff," added another.

It's the third such incident at the Bullring shopping centre in recent years.

The Samaritans provides a free support service for those who need to talk to someone in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It can be contacted via Samaritans.org or by calling 116 123 (UK) or 116 123 (ROI), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.