A SECTION of roofing on the former EMD cinema building collapsed, luckily missing passers by.

A piece of wood fell from the roof on Thursday morning, and was snapped by internet writer Freewheeler, who runs the Crap Cycling & Walking in Waltham Forest blogsite.

He said: "Presumably no one was passing at the time, as the collapsed section, made of solid wood, would probably have killed anyone it had hit on the head. "It has roughly the dimensions of a railway sleeper, but is longer.

"It is also studded with nails."

Bill Hodgson, of the McGuffin Film Society, said: "This is clearly a danger to the public and it is not acceptable for a listed building to be neglected in this way.

"Part of the canopy collapsed in 2007 and UCKG gave assurances then that work would be undertaken to make it safe.

"This obviously hasn't happened and the council should now step in to make sure the owners stop neglecting their responsibilities.

"We know the interior of the building is being maintained so there is no legitimate reason why the exterior should be left to rot".

The building in Hoe Street, is owned by evangelical Christian group Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UKCG), which wants to use the building as a church and community centre.

But campaigners want the council to purchase the building so it can be re-opened as a cinema, a move ruled out by council cabinet member for invetsment Cllr Terry Wheeler.