
This is the amazing moment around 100 commuters came to a trapped unicyclist's aid, lifting a double decker bus off him after a collision in east London.

The dreadlocked victim, who has not been named but is thought to be in his twenties, was taken to hospital in a serious condition following the smash during rush hour yesterday.

The incredible footage shows dozens of people crowding round after the man was hit by the number 212 bus on Hoe Street, Walthamstow, just before 6pm.

Crash: Around a hundred people gathered to help lift a double decker bus after it collided with a unicyclist in east London yesterday

Effort: The bus is lifted slightly off the ground as the commuters work to free the trapped man in Walthamstow during the evening rush hour

Flattened: The man's unicycle was utterly crushed by the number 212 double decker, while its owner was taken to hospital with serious injuries

Heroic bystanders are seen rushing towards the 12-tonne double decker before heaving the front of the bus up into the air, freeing the stricken unicyclist.

Some of those who helped lift the bus had just moments before been dining in nearby restaurants, leaving their food behind as they dashed outside to help.

The victim was this morning in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Robin Jerrom, 34, a senior negotiator at nearby Churchill Estates, was one of the first on scene to help the unicyclist.

Mr Jerrom described the victim as 'distinctive' and said he would often be seen wearing a scarf across his face as he rode through the neighbourhood on his unicycle.

'It was about 5.50pm when I heard a loud bang, and looked out of the window to see someone trapped under the front wheel of a bus,' Mr Jerrom said.

'I ran out to help, and could see the bus driver was a little bit shocked and didn't know what to do. We tried to get him to move it forward, but he couldn't so we got him to stop.

'Then more and more people came along to help move the bus, about 40-50 people.

'Eventually he [the cyclist] managed to crawl out and was in quite a state. It's not a sight I'm going to forget. It was a very bad injury, a quite horrific image for everyone to see.

'You don't know if familiarity caused him [the cyclist] to not see the situation right.

You could see his leg and he was making a lot of noise. It's always a worry when you see such a big vehicle and someone underneath it.'

TOP MEDIC DIED YARDS FROM HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WORKED: TWO FEMALE CYCLISTS DIE ON ROADS YESTERDAY Esther Hartsilver, 32, died after a collision with a lorry just yards from King's College Hospital, south London, where she worked A top medic became the latest cyclist to die on London's roads in collision with a lorry just yards from the hospital where she worked. Specialist physiotherapist Esther Hartsilver, 32, was one of two female cyclists who died yesterday after being critically injured in the accident just yards from King's College Hospital in south London during the morning rush hour. Police, who were called to the scene of the collision in Camberwell, south London, just before 8am, said the male driver of the Co-Op food lorry stopped at the scene. No arrests have been made and inquiries continue. Floral tributes have been left at the junction where the accident happened. A card attached to one bunch of flowers read: 'Darling Est, A grin that will never leave me. In our hearts forever. Love you. Sleep tight. Sops xx..' A spokesman for King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We have lost a dear and respected colleague. The thoughts of everyone at King's are with Esther's family.' Police say next of kin has been informed. Ms Hartsilver had been working as highly specialist physiotherapist urogynaecology at King's College Hospital since last July. She was also a qualified pilates instructor and acupuncturist, who also worked at The Portland Hospital in London. Previously she had worked at Guys and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust. The other woman, in her 50s, was in a collision with a van, a car and a tanker at Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, on the fringes of London at 6.40am yesterday. She was pronounced dead at the scene while the male driver of the van was taken to hospital. Surrey Police, who are appealing for witnesses to come forward, said a man aged 34, from Walton-on-Thames, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance. Ms Hartsilver's death was the sixth cyclist fatality in London so far this year, with all the incidents involving lorries. The previous, fifth, fatal incident involving cyclists in London involved renowned designer Moira Gemmill, 55, who was overseeing renovations at Windsor Castle, and who was killed in an accident near Lambeth Bridge. In February, French-born mother-of-two Claire Hitier-Abadie, 36, died in an accident with a Crossrail lorry as she rode a cycle-hire 'Boris bike' through Victoria in central London. Twelve cyclists died on the capital's roads last year - five in collisions with lorries. Advertisement

Heroic bystanders and police officers are seen rushing towards the double decker before heaving the front of the bus up into the air

Cordon: The driver of the double decker bus was stopped by police officers at the scene in east London but has not been arrested

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the unicyclist was in a 'serious but stable' condition in hospital following the horrific crash

Rahmo Ahmed, 32, from Leyton, said she had crossed the road to buy a takeaway when she heard a loud bang and screams - and immediately ran to help.

She told MailOnline: 'I heard a loud bang and then there was screaming. I went around to the other side of the bus and I saw the man under the bus.

'I saw his hand was sticking out and he was screaming for help. It was horrible. I don't know what got into me, I was in shock, but I just ran and I was shouting to everyone 'please help'.

'I was holding his jacket and the bus driver moved the bus a bit. He was crying.'

She added: 'Then a hundred people were on top of me helping and I was telling the man to come out, but he was too heavy.

'All of a sudden another man came and pulled him out.'

Another witness Kyra Sam said she walking towards Walthamstow market when she heard screams coming from the busy road.

She told the London Evening Standard: 'I'm really amazed at the strength of Walthamstow - no one hesitated to push the bus off, I was in shock.

'Everyone really came together to help - it was really nice to see that in the face of something so awful.'

Sami Ullah, who runs a cafe near the scene of the crash, said: 'I was standing at the till and heard a loud noise. It was a big bang – we thought it was a shotgun or something.

'All of a sudden we saw people leaving their chairs at Turtle Bay and Pizza Express and running towards the road. We saw people actually coming out of the bus as well. Everybody was shouting and screaming.

' Then all of the people tried to somehow move the bus a little bit.'

'There were so many people gathered there,' he said. 'There must have been about 50 to 100. They somehow managed to pull the bus away a bit. We were amazed – it was a heavy bus, a double decker . Police were here straightaway and they took over. '

Mr Ullah added that he had seen the man unicycling nearby before.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy praised those who helped in the rescue bid.

She tweeted: 'Walthamstow - if you were one of the 100 who helped lift the bus to rescue that poor cyclist. Just thank you. #proudmp #faithinhumanity.'

The bus driver was stopped by police but was not arrested.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 5.50pm to a bus in collision with a unicyclist in Hoe Street, E17.

'The male unicyclist was taken by ambulance to an east London hospital where his condition is believed to be serious.

'The bus - a route 212 - stopped at the scene. There has been no arrest. Roads closures are in place. '