Friends of girl crushed to death by tree 'screamed for help' as they attempted to save her

The friends of a girl crushed by a tree screamed for help in a desperate attempt to save their pal from a tragic death.

The youngster, known locally as Brooke, sadly died after being in Banstead, south London, while walking with friends on a quiet footpath. She was knocked down by heavy branches at around 4pm on Saturday, November 9. Witnesses shared how the teen was "already gone" by the time residents from a nearby traveller estate arrived to help.

Residents tried to shift the tree and perform CPR on Brooke but it was unfortunately too late to save her. The pathway where Brooke was struck by the tree connected Banstead's popular Lavender Fields Farm with Coulsdon, two miles away. It is believed Brooke spent between 90 minutes and two hours stuck underneath the branches before specialist equipment was used by emergency services to extract her body from underneath the fallen tree. One local, speaking to , say they "heard screams" moments after seeing them walk down the path.

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They said: "Moments before I saw them walking down the path, and then I heard screams. One of her friends shouted, 'My friend has been crushed. Please help me'. I feel very sad, but I couldn’t save her. I knew she’d already gone." Another said: "There really was nothing anyone could do but try and provide some comfort to the kids who witnessed it."

The footpath remains closed today as police continue collecting evidence to how the tragedy unfolded so quickly, with tributes now flooding in for the youngster. One read: "I love you so much, you will never be forgotten, you will always be my best friend. I can’t believe you’re gone, I will miss you forever. I’m so sorry I didn’t come see you sooner. I love you girl."

Another heartfelt post from Brooke's cousin reads: "You don’t deserve this. You had your whole life ahead of you. You were one of a kind and you would never hurt a soul." A third post added: "This girl had a heart of gold, she didn’t deserve half the stuff she went through."

In a statement, London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goldbourne said: “Despite the effort of emergency service personnel in attendance, the child was declared dead at the scene. The thoughts of our crews and staff across the entire Brigade are with the child's family at this difficult time."

Elsewhere, the Met Police force has confirmed it would investigate the death though it says it is not believed to be suspicious. They will prepare a file for the Coroner over the coming weeks.