A married City trader has jumped to his death from the seventh floor of the London Stock Exchange today.

Witnesses have said the man, who has not been named but is described as a middle-aged Londoner landed in the lobby of the building, which has been screened off.

The finance worker is believed to work on the first floor but climbed up to the seventh floor at around 9.45am, clambered over a glass barrier and jumped.

Police were called at 9.58am and the man was pronounced dead at 10.10am - the Paternoster Square entrance of the LSE is shut and police and ambulance staff are at the scene.

Officers say his death is not suspicious and are desperately trying to contact his wife and family today. A fellow broker explained: 'I came in this morning and there was a screen up in the reception lobby area and ambulances and police.

'There was an internal memo saying there had been an incident and then we have found out that a man has jumped from the seventh floor.

'The building has walkways on each floor and near the lifts there is a gap and you can see all the way up and down.

'Apparently he jumped from there.'

A student, who was waiting in security, told the Evening Standard: 'My friends inside told me they heard a lot of shouting and then they heard a thud. It's awful.'

The financier is believed to have been working on the first floor before heading up to the seventh floor.

The man, believed to be London-based and middle aged, threw himself from an internal walkway.

A witness said: ''When he hit the floor it was terrifying'. His colleagues were said to be devastated this morning, with several having been sent home.

Police are desperately trying to contact the man's wife to inform her of the incident.  Workers said that the 7th floor was full of conference rooms and no firm was based there.

A City of London Police spokesman added: 'We were called to the London Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square on Tuesday, 15 August at 9.58am to a report of a man who had fallen from an upper floor in the building to the ground.

'London Ambulance Service attended and the man was pronounced dead at 10.10am.

'The City of London Police is currently investigating the circumstances around the death and the incident is being treated as non-suspicious.

'We are now working to inform the man's next of kin.' 

A London Stock Exchange Group spokesman added: 'We can confirm an incident this morning where a London Stock Exchange Group colleague fell from an upper floor balcony and died.

'The emergency services were called immediately and are dealing with the incident. We will continue to offer them every support and cooperation possible.

'Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of our dear colleague.