Man detained under Mental Health Act after M40 bridge incident that brought region's roads to a standstill - The Solihull Observer

Man detained under Mental Health Act after M40 bridge incident that brought region's roads to a standstill

Solihull Editorial 25th Apr, 2017   0

A MAN in his 30s has been detained under the Mental Health Act following the incident at the M40 motorway bridge between Hockley Heath and Henley in Arden on Monday night (April 24).

The threat of harm to both the man and the motorists driving on the M40 was so significant that police closed the motorway in both directions for around four hours – from 3pm to around 7pm.

Rush-hour traffic was severely disrupted across the region, with all roads between Solihull and Warwick – and further afield – suffering massive delays as motorists sought alternative routes.

Police negotiators were able to bring the incident to a safe conclusion at around 7pm.




Chief Superintendent Alex Franklin-Smith from Warwickshire Police said: “We would like to thank all motorists and local people who experienced significant disruption as a result of this incident, for their continued patience, understanding and compassion.

“The threat of harm to both the individual concerned and to vehicles driving on the M40 was so significant, there was no alternative but to close the motorway and for it to remain closed until the incident had run its course.


“We strive to resolve such matters as quickly as possible, but our number one priority is to put the safety of everyone concerned first and to protect life.”

Buy Photos

Buy photos online from the Solihull Observer newspaper.

Subscribe

Receive a weekly update to your inbox by signing up to our weekly newsletter.

Announcements

Weddings, Birthdays, Bereavements, Thank you notices, Marriages and more.

Recruitment

Find a career you'll love with our free career finder website.