A man hit by a falling telegraph pole has been identified as London Cornish player Nick Fletcher.

Mr Fletcher, 27, was in Spanish Road, Wandsworth, on Monday when a telegraph pole came crashing down onto his head just before 7pm.

Paramedics resuscitated him after he suffered a cardiac arrest and treated him for a head injury.

He was taken to St George's Hospital, Tooting, as a priority and is in a stable condition, having improved since yesterday when his condition was described as "critical".

Mr Fletcher, a City worker, plays for London Cornish rugby club in Roehampton and is believed to have only recently moved to Wandsworth.

He was a keen fan of sports, having played at London Cornish for over five years.

Dickon Moon, head coach of London Cornish, said: "He plays for the rugby club in back row and is a popular member of the club.

"He is a well-liked character. I have had a lot of players get in touch about it, everybody is praying he is going to be ok."

Well-wishers have been sending their thoughts out to Mr Fletcher on Twitter.

A team mate posting under the name WCG wrote: "Savage news about LCRFC stalwart Nick Fletcher. So incredibly unlucky. Thoughts go out to him and his family."

Witnesses said the telegraph pole was rotten at the base, while winds measuring up to 40 mph battered the area that night.

BT, who owned the pole, have launched an investigation.

A spokesperson for BT said: "We are sorry to hear of this incident and our thoughts are with the man who was injured."