A man is seriously ill in hospital after falling from a balcony at the Picturedrome.

Horrified locals watched as the man – believed to have been working for an agency hanging up posters– plummeted to the ground.

The man was airlifted to hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and last night was being treated for serious injuries at Leeds General Infirmary.

The horrific scene at the Holmfirth entertainment venue unfolded at around 4.30pm on Saturday.

Workers at the nearby Brambles restaurant heard the commotion of police cars and several ambulances arriving outside.

Laura Smith, 20, a front of house staff member, said: “I came downstairs and everybody was by the window looking out.

“Somebody said a man had fallen off the balcony and when I looked out I could see one of the posters advertising up and coming shows hanging off.

“I thought he must have been trying to hang it up when he fell.”

As the crowd outside increased, police cordoned off an area around the Market Walk venue.

Laura said: “There were quite a few police cars and two or three ambulances and police were not letting anyone walk past.

“Lots of people were just standing watching and I was lost for words.

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“It was scary, especially when the air ambulance came – and it’s quite a big drop down.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was quick to arrive on the scene.

A YAA spokeswoman praised the emergency services working on the ground for enabling the helicopter to land in such a restricted area.

The air ambulance was dispatched from its base at Leeds Bradford Airport, where hours earlier fundraisers taking part in a Walk for Pounds event had set off .

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance taking off from Holmfirth after picking up the man badly injured in a fall at the Picturedrome
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance taking off from Holmfirth after picking up the man badly injured in a fall at the Picturedrome

Its paramedics were airborne just five minutes after being alerted to the incident and arrived within 10 minutes.

They were initially dropped off on a cricket pitch as police worked to clear the area.

The spokeswoman said: “With the help of police and other emergency services they secured an area at the bus station.

“It was a pretty spectacular landing as it’s a really tight spot.”

The male’s injuries were described as multiple and serious.

He was treated at the scene to ensure he was stable for his flight to hospital.

The man was last night still being treated for a number of breaks and possible internal injuries.

Saturday night’s gig at the Picturedrome – From The Jam featuring Bruce Foxton – went ahead as planned.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said that CID officers were involved and secured evidence from the accident scene before re-opening it.

He said it was believed the worker was putting up advertising posters on behalf of an agency when he fell.

The spokesman added that CCTV footage showed him on his own and leaning over the balcony before slipping and falling.