A seven-year-old boy is thought to have had his foot amputated after a playground wall collapsed on him and his sister.

The accident happened on Saturday, May 18, while he and his 10-year-old sister were outside at the play area in Lordship North Estate, in Lordship Road, Stoke Newington.

Housing organisation Hackney Homes, which manages the estate on behalf of Hackney Council, has cordoned off the playground in the meantime and claimed the accident appeared to have happened because the children had tied a rope to the wall.

Neighbour and mother-of-two Fatos Has, 38, who ran out to see what had happened after hearing a loud bang, said: “I heard the wall collapse and ran out to help them. I did not see what happened. I was shocked and scared. The children were crying. I could see they were in a lot of pain.

“I have only seen the family once since then. They came to thank us for helping and talked about the children. The girl’s leg is broken in three places and the boy’s leg is broken in two places and doctors told the family they would have to amputate his foot as blood is not reaching there. All the neighbours are really upset.

“I haven’t slept properly for a few days. My children used to play there but I’m not going to let them anymore. I’m really scared that something might happen to them. I don’t believe the children tied a rope through the holes in the wall.

“Even if they did, it should not have happened. It’s a big wall.”

Mother-of-one Suzan Kalayci, 38, said: “I’m really shocked. The children’s mother is obviously upset. Doctors amputated her son’s foot the following Tuesday – she was crying when she told me.

“It could easily have been my child. She used to skate and would balance against the wall. I could have easily been there as well. Normally when we are at home we have tea with the neighbours and sit at the picnic table beside the wall.”

A Hackney Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 5.44pm after large brick wall had fallen on two children.

“The children suffered multiple fractures. Hackney Homes is investigating the incident.”

Charlotte Graves, chief executive of Hackney Homes, said: “We are working with the police to establish the cause of the incident, but it appears they were swinging from a rope that had been attached to the wall, which could have caused it to collapse.

“This seems to have been a terrible accident and our thoughts are with the children and their families.”