A DISTRESSED man threatening to jump from a motorway bridge led to the closure of the M65 on Monday night.

Police, who were alerted by a passer-by, took around half-an-hour to talk the man, described as around 30 and from the local area, down from a bridge about half-a-mile south of junction 6 at Stanhill.

He was believed to be depressed following a relationship break-up, and for his safety the motorway was blocked in both directions from junctions 5 to 7 at 10pm.

Inspector Bilal Mulla said: "Our main concern was his safety as he was threatening to harm himself by jumping off the bridge. Officers talked to him and detained him. He has since had some assessment of his mental health."

The M65 was fully re-opened at 10.25pm.

A spokeswoman for the county’s motorway unit said the time of the incident and the swift actions of patrols kept disruption to a minimum.