A toddler has undergone surgery for a fractured skull after a horror incident.

Police and paramedics were called to Preston Street in Brighton at 10.45am on Friday after the timber fell from scaffolding.

It hit a three-year-old girl, who has had surgery at the Royal Sussex County Hospital before being transferred to Southampton Hospital where she remains in a critical but stable condition.

Her mum was pushing her in a pram in Preston Street when the wood fell from a site above the Greek restaurant Adelfia.

Police say the building work is at a private address, and is not connected to any businesses or premises in the street.

Eyewitnesses saw blood pouring from the girl’s head as her mother screamed her name to try to keep her conscious.

One shop owner, who asked not to be named, said: “I saw a little girl with a lot of blood coming from the back of her head.

“Something fell from up the scaffolding. She wasn’t talking or doing anything.

“Her mum was just shouting her name to keep her awake and someone called the ambulance. Then she started crying.”

Officers arrested two men after the incident, who are both said to be “assisting officers with enquiries”.

The first man, a 32-year-old from Hove, was arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm without intent.

He was also arrested on suspicion of being an employee who failed to discharge a general health and safety duty at work, and being an employer who failed to discharge a general health and safety duty at work.

The second man, a 39-year-old from Brighton, was also arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm without intent, being an employee who failed to discharge general health and safety duty at work.

The Health and Safety Executive is also investigating the incident.

Police say both men have been released on bail until Friday, August 3, and have appealed for anyone who might have seen what happened to come forward.

Anyone with any information is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting serial 455 of 06/07.