Princes Street in Ipswich was closed at about 9.30am today after police heard reports of a man appearing to be preparing to jump into the River Orwell from the bridge in front of the railway station.

The man was reported to be carrying a bouquet of flowers and there were fears that a fall could cause serious injuries – the bridge is about 25ft above the water but it is quite a low tide and the river is currently believed to be only about two feet deep.

Police managed to talk to the man and persuade him to return to the safety of the pavement from where he was taken for treatment under mental health legislation. The road reopened at about 10am.