Woman dies in St Paul’s Cathedral after 100ft fall from Whispering Gallery Staff trained in first aid and paramedics tried to save her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, City of London Police say.

She fell from the high balcony of the Whispering Gallery and landed on the floor of the cathedral.

Staff trained in first aid tried to save her, and paramedics were there within minutes, but City of London Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene around 10.30am.

A spokeswoman said her death is not being treated as suspicious.

The cathedral said it was “deeply saddened” by the woman’s death.

It said in a statement: “Although robust procedures for emergency situations are in place at St Paul’s, and today’s response bore that out, it does not lessen the shock we feel as a close community, especially for those of us who witnessed and responded to this incident.

“We hold also in our thoughts those visitors within the cathedral at the time.

“We think and pray especially at this time for the woman who died, and for all those who were close to her and who loved and cared for her.”

The cathedral was closed after the incident, but will open as normal on Thursday.

The Whispering Gallery is 257 steps up from the cathedral floor and runs around the interior of the dome. Its height is said to be the equivalent of seven London buses.

It gets its name from a quirk in its construction, which makes a whisper against its walls audible on the opposite side.