THIS is the heart-stopping moment a terrified young girl clings to a window ledge above a busy high street before dropping towards the ground below.

Shocking footage captured by a passerby shows the youngster dangling above a pawnbrokers shop as horrified onlookers gathered beneath her.

The child appears to be desperately trying to pull herself to safety as she hangs precariously from the ledge of a building on Ilford High Road in East London.

A crowd can be seen gathered below as concerned witnesses realise the danger unfolding above their heads.

In the dramatic clip, the girl can be is gripping the ledge as people on the street look on helplessly.

At one point a panicked woman emerges from a lower window and begins calling up to the youngster as the tense rescue effort gathers pace.

Seconds later, a topless man who is wearing grey trousers positions himself directly underneath the child, alongside a police officer who has rushed to the scene.

As the youngster’s grip finally gives way, gasps can be heard from the crowd below.

The child then plunges from the ledge.

But the member of the public and the officer manage to catch the girl as she falls.

The dramatic intervention sparks an immediate wave of relief among those watching.

The youngster is then seen safely clutched in the man’s arms before being passed back through the lower window from which the woman had emerged.

The shirtless rescuer can then be seen hugging the copper who helped save the girl as the crowd applauds below.

Witnesses watched anxiously as the frightening ordeal unfolded outside H&T Pawnbrokers.

For several agonising minutes, the child remained stranded above the street while rescuers scrambled into position beneath her.

Thankfully, the potentially tragic incident ended without injury.

The Met Police said officers were called to the scene shortly after 3.20pm on Tuesday following reports of concerns for a child’s safety.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Officers were called to Ilford High Road at 15:23hrs on Tuesday, June 9, following concerns for the safety of a child climbing onto a window ledge.

“The girl was bought to safety by 15:32hrs by an attending officer and member of the public.

“They did not receive any injuries.”

The rescue meant the youngster was brought to safety within just nine minutes of police arriving at the scene.

No injuries were reported and the child escaped unharmed following the terrifying incident.

The extraordinary footage has since captured the attention of viewers online.