A football fan on his way to watch Arsenal helped avert a potential tragedy after rescuing a toddler who fell down the gap between the train and platform.

Cardiff City supporter John Noctor was travelling to watch the Gunners play his team when the incident occurred at Gospel Oak station in Camden.

The toddler fell from the buggy when its mother tried to board the train.

Mr Noctor said he saw the woman struggling to get on but by the time he made it to the doors to help, the pram was already empty.

Hearing crying from near the tracks, he leapt down to drag the tot to safety.

His quick-thinking nephew also played a part after jamming the doors open when he heard beeping signalling that the train was about to depart.

Bus driver Mr Noctor told the BBC: “I could see through the window the woman struggling to get the buggy on and went to lend a hand, but by the time I got there it was empty.

“I looked around the platform and couldn’t see anything, then I heard the crying from underneath the train.

“As I got down there I could hear the doors beeping as the driver was about to move off, but at the time what that meant hadn’t really sunk in - I was more bothered about reaching the kid.

“I found out afterwards that my nephew had jammed the train doors and hit the alarm, otherwise it would have moved off.

“Thank God, the kid reached up its hand just as I was bending down so I was able to heave him or her up on to the platform.”

British Transport Police (BTP) said: “BTP received a report of a child falling from a buggy between the train and the platform at Gospel Oak station on Wednesday, 1 January.

“The incident was reported to BTP at 1.10pm. The child was retrieved from the tracks uninjured.”