A woman in her 70s hit by a police motorbike this morning has been pronounced dead at the scene by an air ambulance doctor.

She was hit at about 10.25am in Eastern Avenue close to the Gants Hill roundabout.

The policeman, from the City of London force, was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, with chest and arm injuries.

An employee at the Loft Shop in Eastern Avenue said he saw six ambulances at the scene.

A decorated taxi convoy taking underprivileged children to Southend was caught up in the traffic which was backed up to Redbridge roundabout.