A man has died after an accident involving a tram and a bus this morning.

The accident happened after a tram which had been travelling down George Street from East Croydon station was in collision with a 468 bus travelling towards West Croydon at the junction with Wellesley Road at around 10am.

The collision forced the bus down George Street at speed where it damaged a number of shops and businesses before finally coming to a halt when it hit an illegally parked silver BMW.

Accident investigators confirmed a male pedestrian, believed to be in his 20s, died after sustaining horrific injuries after being hit by both the tram and the bus.

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said they sent a fast response car, an ambulance and a manager to George Street but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Seven other people were injured in the incident including the bus driver and the tram driver.

The drivers of both vehicles were rushed to hospital, with the bus driver suffering from serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening.

Speaking from the scene Croydon police's Inspector Phil Mockett said: “The area is being treated as a crime scene.

"A bus and tram collided with each other. The bus then hit a vehicle that was parked in George Street. Officers were at the scene within seconds.

“There was one person that was dead at the scene and there were eight injured in total.”

“The road will be closed for a considerable time as accident investigators attempt to piece together what happened.”

Insp Mockett added: “It was quite horrific for the officers first on the scene.”

He said that the incident could have been a lot more serious if bus’s momentum had not been absorbed by the parked car and if George Street’s shops had been busier.

Michael Wall, 22, a builder who lives near the scene of the accident said: “I heard a massive bang and the chopper flying overhead so I went out to see what was happening and saw the wreckage. It looked pretty nasty.”

Croydon’s Tramlink has been suspended between Reeves Corner and East Croydon and George Street remained cordoned off while emergency services investigate the accident.

A spokesman for Transport for London said: “Following a collision involving a route 468 bus and a tram on George Street, Croydon, a person has been killed. Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the person who died and those who were injured."

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