THIS picture shows the end of a bridge rescue drama which unfolded during Basingstoke's morning rush hour.

Officers were called to a footpath bridge that crosses the dual carriageway between the Thornycroft and Winchester Road roundabouts at 8.20am on January 16 following reports of a man standing on the wrong side of the railings.

Police received five calls from anxious motorists who feared the man might jump.

Two traffic officers were first on the scene and were soon joined by two policewomen.

Traffic ground to a halt on one side of the carriageway between the Thornycroft and Winchester Road roundabouts while the opposite carriageway was completely closed off by police and traffic diverted.

The drama lasted 35 minutes, during which the police officers spoke to the man before pulling him over the railings to safety.

One eyewitness said: "I really thought he was going to jump but the police acted very swiftly.

"They had no room for error when they grabbed him and hauled him back over the railings. They did a really good job."

There were major tailbacks as Hatch Warren, Kempshott and South Ham all became gridlocked while drivers tried to find alternative routes into the town during the incident.

A police spokesman said the man was taken to Parklands Hospital where he was detained under the Mental Health Act.