A father has told of how a stargazing event at an Edenbridge golf club descended into chaos when a fire escape collapsed - leaving a woman trapped.

Kevin Burgess had decided to treat his 10-year-old son Harley to the Edenbridge and District Astronomers (EDA) Stargazing Live event at the Kent and Surrey Golf and Country Club in Crouch House Road yesterday afternoon.

Just before 4pm the pair were queuing- with about eight others - on the exterior staircase to the second floor of the main function room to use a solar telescope, when the entire structure fell.

The 33-year-old from Edenbridge said: "As we started climbing up the stairs it all happened so fast, it just came away from the wall and collapsed underneath us.

"There was a loud bang and a lot of screaming and shouting. There were people running about and calling for each other. It was absolute madness for the first five minutes."

About ten people were thrown off the staircase onto brick paving, the Brook Court resident said.

One woman in her 60s was left trapped under the handrail of the staircase, and this was lifted clear by bystanders.

Mr Burgess, who is trained in first aid, set about gathering the wounded and called an ambulance.

Police, one fire engine and three ambulances are reported to have attended the scene. Five people were injured - two women and an eight-year-old boy were taken to hospital.

Mr Burgess fell on his shoulder which had previously been injured in a car crash last year, so he later went to A&E at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Harley escaped with minor scratches and bruises

At 5pm the EDA tweeted to say it had cancelled the event.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "Our crew assisted with casualty care, making the scene safe and assisting Kent Police with their investigation of the circumstances."

Mr Burgess, who works at The Range in Tunbridge Wells, said he was concerned that only the fire escape appeared to have been opened to reach the telescopes on the second floor at the time of the accident.

He said the interior staircase was only opened after it was too late.

"The club has just had a lot of work done," he added. "I want to know why the stairs had not been looked at too. The are lots of questions that need to be answered."

A spokesman for Sevenoaks District Council said its building control team went to assess the fallen staircase.

He said: "The staircase was found to be on the ground and posed no further danger. Our environmental heath team has now begun a preliminary investigation into the causes of the accident."

The Kent and Surrey Golf and Country Club and the EDA have been approached for comment.