A woman was seriously injured after she jumped from a second floor window in an apparent suicide attempt.

The woman, who is believed to be 35 years old, was airlifted to hospital after jumping from a window above Londis in High Street, Ruislip, at around 4pm on Friday.

Jackie Gale, unit holder at Ruislip Collectables in the High Street, said: "I was in the shop at the time and someone came in saying there was someone on the window ledge and to call the police, so we did.

"When we looked up from our window we could see her straight away. She was standing on the top window ledge above Londis talking to herself.

"She would let go and then hold on again for about five minutes and all of a sudden she went into a sort of trance. I told my colleague and as soon as I said that she jumped.

"When we saw her falling we knew that was it so we turned away."

Police were at the scene by 3.53pm and they attempted to engage in conversation with the woman but she did not respond or communicate with them and at 3.57pm she plunged from the ledge.

The woman was treated at the scene and then taken to Royal London Hospital by air ambulance with serious head injuries.

Cara Nicholls, manager of the hair and beauty workshop, said: "The police were there before she fell and they were telling people to keep back from the area, and they had stopped the traffic on our side of the road.

"I heard a massive noise which sounded like a gunshot and I ran out-side to look and that was her hitting the floor.

"She was lying face down and there was blood running down the pavement from her head. Police were around her straight away and we could hear her groaning.

"We locked ourselves in because we were a bit shocked and freaked out and when they cordoned off the road we weren't allowed to go anywhere.

"We had been quite busy in the day but we couldn't have any more customers. We had to let the customers who were already in the shop out the back door."

High Street was closed off by police just before 4pm between Brickwall Lane and Pembroke Road and it reopened at about 7pm.

The woman was still in a critical but stable condition yesterday (Tuesday) morning.

Police are investigating but refused to comment on the case. Grim faced police attend to the woman after attempts to talk her down from the ledge failed. She suffered serious head injuries in the fall and was airlifted to hospital.