News Walthamstow

Walthamstow Oxfam indefinitely shut after signage collapses onto street

A next-door shop owner said ‘someone could’ve died’ if hit by the heavy signage, reports Cosmic Thapa

The exterior of the Oxfam on St James Street

The Oxfam on St James Street in Walthamstow has indefinitely shut after signage fell from the shop and hit the pavement on Sunday night (2nd June).

A local business owner said someone could have died if it hit them.

Jonathan Bryan, owner of Jerk Fusion next door to Oxfam told the Echo: “If there was anyone walking past, they would have been dead. That building has had problems for quite a while now.

“[Some people] came here two days ago and they took off all the other signs because any weight on it would cause the rest of it to come down.”

He added: “This building is practically rotting”. 

As a result of the collapse, the pavement was blocked off, and the Oxfam store has since been temporarily closed.

An Oxfam spokesperson said: “Sadly, the external signage on our Walthamstow Oxfam shop collapsed on Sunday. The incident happened after the store had closed and thankfully no one was hurt.

“The debris was immediately cordoned off and removed from the site and the area has been made safe to the public.

“The shop will sadly be shut for the foreseeable, until repairs can be made, while the cause of the collapse is investigated.

“We apologise for the inconvenience and look forward to welcoming our customers back as soon as possible.”


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