A DISTRESSED dad who threatened to hang himself from a 40ft high bridge in Haslingden was led to safety after a policeman spent more than an hour talking to him by telephone.

David Guest, 32, was found perched on a narrow girder above the River Irwell, with a rope by his side, after he called police on his mobile phone saying he intended to commit suicide.

An officer in the the police communications headquarters, six miles away in Burnley, called him back on the mobile he had used to issue his threat and spent more than an hour persuading him to inch his way to safety as emergency teams covered the area, off the busy A56 road.

Mr Guest, a family man of Bury Road, Rawtenstall, eventually made his way to safety and was taken to Bury General Hospital for checks and later transferred to the psychiatric unit at Rossendale Hospital.

Inspector Paul Robinson praised the team effort of the emergency services - especially the male officer who contacted Mr Guest. He said: "Their skill averted a potentially tragic situation.

"Mr Guest was is in a very emotional state and the outcome was a credit to all involved."

Inspector Robinson said Mr Guest, who has a partner and children, had phoned police at 10.20am yesterday saying he was going to hang himself from a bridge because he had domestic problems and was worried about having to appear in county court that day.

The call sparked the search as police checked every bridge in the Rawtenstall and Edenfield areas without success.

At 11.30am the man called back to pinpoint his location as police contacted his family for his mobile number as police, ambulance, paramedics and fire teams raced to the scene.

Mr Guest was found under the A56 bridge with the rope tied to a bridge support.

Inspector Robinson said: "Much credit must go to the officer in the communications room who persuaded him to come back."

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