A Paralympic athlete died on Tuesday night at a leisure centre in east London, apparently crushed by a metal discus cage while practising.

Abdullah Hayayei, a 36-year-old competitor from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was pronounced dead on Tuesday while training for the World Para Athletics Championships set to take place at the Olympic stadium in Stratford this weekend.

A UAE sports official gave a TV interview describing his death, in which he said a metal discus cage at the Newnham Leisure Centre, close to the London Stadium, fell on Hayayei and killed him.

Hayayei specialised in the shot put, discus, and javelin. He competed in the Rio 2016 Paralmypics.

He came sixth at javelin and seventh in shot put in the F34 Paralympic classification, which is for athletes with functional arms but difficulties using their legs.

The opening ceremony at the World Para Athletics Championships in London will now include a moment of silence in his honour.

Speaking to Dubai Sports TV in the hours after the accident, Majid Al Usaimi, the vice president of the UAE Disabled Sports Federation, said: "We cannot discuss the details of the incident but what I can say is that during afternoon practice for the throwing team, at the official training venue of the competition, Abdullah was going through his usual training routines, before the metal discus cage fell on his head.

"The on-site medical staff tried to help him but to no avail."

Emergency responders tried to save Hayayei, but he was pronounced dead at the scene around 5.20 p.m.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: "At this early stage, it is believed the man was struck by a metal pole which formed part of training facilities at the centre."