Video footage has emerged of an unexpected collapse during demolition work at the £1 billion St James Centre redevelopment in Edinburgh last week.

Two floors collapsed during a planned demolition of a multi-storey car park at the back of the 1970s complex by Laing O’Rourke on Tuesday.

No one was injured in the incident due to safety exclusion zones implemented by the contractor.

The time-lapse video footage uploaded to YouTube shows demolition work progressing as normal until the sudden collapse of the parking bays.

A Laing O’Rourke spokesman said: “The exclusion zone is an area where personnel are not permitted and specialist machines work from the perimeter on the demolition of the building.

“The exclusion zone is further protected by a safety zone where only trained personnel are permitted.

“These measures are put in place to keep members of the public and site personnel safe at all times and allow for the unpredictable nature of demolishing buildings of this age and condition.”

O’Rourke started demolition work last October at the shopping centre which will be replaced with a modern retail and office complex, with a five-star hotel at its heart.

Work on the project is due to be completed by 2020.