Hero dad talks down man from motorway gantry

A MOTORIST has described how he 'talked down' a man threatening to jump from a motorway gantry.

- JOHN SCHEERHOUT

The drama brought traffic to a standstill on the M56 on Thursday afternoon.

It started when a man climbed onto a motorway gantry. A police patrol car stopped the traffic on the carriageway and a brief stand-off ensued just before 3pm.

Motorist Andy Royle, 38, an electrician from Chorlton, was taking his three children swimming when he saw the police patrol stop the traffic as the man scaled the gantry.

He said he talked the man down. Police confirmed they later took the man to hospital.

Andy told the M.E.N. he got out of his car to see if he could help and spent 20 minutes trying to persuade the man to come down.