A soldier was filmed stepping on a child’s foot during a patrol march at the Tower of London.
Shocking footage shows the two guards on patrol, and the young girl who finds herself in their path fails to move in time and is trampled under foot.
The soldier was a Coldstream Guard, a division with a ceremonial role of providing protection for Royal palaces.
They do not flinch or hesitate in their march, stepping on the child before marching on without looking back.
In the video circulating on social media, a cry can be heard in the moments before the guard collides with the child.
The Royal Guard are known for their no-nonsense approach when it comes to tourists getting in the way, which is not uncommon.
However they have been criticised for unnecessarily stampeding on a child.
An Army spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident at the Tower of London earlier today during a routine patrol."
“The Guardsman on duty warned members of the public that a patrol was approaching, but the child unfortunately ran out in front of the soldier unexpectedly.
"The soldier tried to step over the child and continued on his duty.
"Following the incident, the soldier checked on the child and was reassured that all was well."
There has been a mixed reaction online, with some siding with the guard and pointing out that the child was facing them as they came and sprung back up quickly after the collision.
Others did argue that it was unnecessary given that they were only a child and that stepping around them would not have been that drastic a step from their usual decorum.
And some said the child’s parents should have done more to keep an eye on their child.
