A WOMAN was knocked unconscious after being hit by falling masonry from a block of Gourock flats.

It is believed she was hit by part of a window ledge which detached from a building on Larkfield Road at around 1am last Sunday.

The woman, who is in her 40s and stays in the area, was coming home from a night out when the brickwork fell, knocking her unconscious.

She was taken to hospital for treatment and is understood to have suffered concussion.

A Greenock police spokeswoman confirmed that officers were called out to the address following reports that masonry had fallen and injured a woman but that she was gone by the time they arrived and they were unable to trace her.

River Clyde Homes (RCH) is the factor for the building, which features a mix of privately-owned and social housing flats, and has now put up scaffolding and safety nets ahead with a view to carrying out repairs.

Graham McDowall, RCH's technical manager, said: "Customer safety is paramount and as soon as this incident was reported to us we carried out some emergency works, put up scaffolding and safety netting.

"A new survey of the building is being carried out and any necessary repairs will be completed as a matter of urgency.

"We are writing to all customers by way of update and a full report will be given to tenants and owners in the block once we have the survey results."

The scaffolding and green safety nets went up later on Sunday but it is claimed that repairs have been outstanding for some time.

A source said: "This work should have been done a long time ago, it should have been maintained.

"It's shocking."