A mother has told of her terror after a concrete slab slipped off a wall and on to her two-year-old daughter's head.

The toddler screamed as the heavy slab fell, cutting her face and shoulder as it crashed on to the pavement, missing her toes by a whisker.

Wendy Gooding, who was enjoying a day trip to Brighton from New Addington, near Croydon in Surrey, with Chloe, said: "She could have been killed. I was watching her play next to a wall with concrete slabs along the top of it.

"She didn't appear to be in any danger and then I saw a triangular-shaped slab falling on to her.

"I couldn't do anything but watch. It hit her face and shoulder and fell down her front. I thought it was going to hit her toes. It would have cut them off, it was so heavy."

Chloe had been playing by a wall near the volleyball court on the seafront in Brighton yesterday lunchtime when the accident happened.

The toddler let out an almighty scream and staff from the nearby Bar de la Mer rushed to offer Chloe first aid for her cuts and bruises.

Miss Gooding said: "The staff in the bar were really helpful. I am so angry. She could have been killed. We had only been here for a few hours and were having a good day.

"There weren't any signs warning the slabs were loose. People who had seen what happened came up to me offering to be witnesses."

Staff from Brighton and Hove City Council's seafront office went to the scene of the accident immediately and removed several slabs from the wall which appeared to be loose. They then taped off the area.

A spokesman for the council said the seafront was inspected in the morning and there were no problems.

However, during the morning delivery lorries are allowed on to the seafront and officers believe one of them may have collided with the wall without informing the council.

She said: "We are sorry the little girl has been hurt. The area is now sealed off and emergency repair work is being done.

"The beach is now safe for the public to enjoy during the bank holiday weekend."