We stopped suicide leap

7:10am Monday 10th March 2008

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TWO heroes sprang into action to save a man about to jump off a bridge onto the railway line at Great Malvern station.

Good friends Kevin Young and Ian Buxton, from Battisto Walk, Malvern, spotted a man sitting on the wall of the road bridge on Avenue Road dangling his legs over the side preparing to jump off.

They were walking home from Malvern town centre at 3pm on Thursday, March 6, when they noticed the man, thought to be in his late 20s, on the wall and a police car pulling up behind them.

Mr Young, an unemployed motor mechanic, said: "He was well to do and I thought he was talking to someone on the platform. Ian went and stood to the right of him and I was on his left.

"We looked over the bridge and saw the railway staff in their orange vests. The train was at the station.

"I said to him What's the matter mate?' and he said he had lots of problems and he had had enough and was going to jump."

"Ian had his arms around his waist comforting him and I had my arms round him. He leaned forward. He was just about to go over but we had him and pulled him back onto the ground.

"He was struggling so I sat on his legs and Ian was on his middle."

Community Support Officers Kevin Johns and Nick Gibson then helped to restrain the man until he could be arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act.

The two heroes suffered minor injuries during the scuffle - Mr Young had a cut wrist and Mr Buxton has a bruised lip.

Mr Buxton, a tool maker, said: "It was a spur of the moment sort of thing. We were walking by and were concerned about him. He would have killed himself."

Sergeant Sara Goodman, of Malvern Police, said: "It is highly commendable. The actions of these people were incredible. I would also like to commend very highly the actions of the community support officers. They certainly prevented a tragedy. We would like to extend massive thanks to them."