A man collapsed after being struck on the head when loose ceiling fell on him at a ticket office.

The man, believed to be in his 60s, was floored when plaster at Carpenders Park station hit him on the head and shoulders on October 5.

Station staff and members of the public helped the injured man who “couldn’t stand’ after the incident.

Shekhar Vadukul, a 21-year-old assistant at the nearby Esom pharmacy, witnessed the incident. He said: “I was walking up the ramp and all of sudden I see an elderly man on the floor right near the barriers.

“He was in quite a lot of pain, holding his head and shoulders. He couldn’t stand, and he was very disorientated.

“Staff came out and helped, they were very caring towards him.”

After being tended to the man decided not to travel and left the station.

The Liberal Democrats recently started a petition to save Carpenders Park station after an announcement from Transport for London 51 ticket offices could close due to dwindling ticket sales.

Last week, Cllr Keith Martin joined RMT workers to distribute petition clipboards in 11 spots throughout South Oxhey including cafés, post offices and shops.

The station is under review because it fell below the Department for Transport’s “busy” threshold.

Offices must surpass 12 ticket sales per hour to remain viable.

Cllr Andrew Scarth, who is also part of the campaign, said: “This nasty incident is yet another reason the ticket office needs to remain open.

“It is extremely worrying to think what could have happened had a ticket officer not been there. Transport for London need to seriously rethink what its role as a transport provider is all about.”

When asked about the importance of staff in ticket halls, Mr Vadukul, said: “If this sort of thing was to happen again after the ticket office closes there is no guarantee the public will help - but staff would have an obligation to help.

“I personally am against closing the ticket office because when people need help topping their Oyster cards or questions about the screens, I think having staff there is quite helpful.”

For more information about the petition, visit http://www.watfordlibdems.org/ticket_office_consultation