New life-saving measures introduced at 'suicide hotspot' in Eastwood

PC Matt Leask and PC Rich Reynolds were on patrol in the town on New Year’s Eve when they noticed a woman dangling from Tinsley Bridge.

The pair managed to calm her down before bringing her to safety.

The bridge also sits above one of the busiest roads in the county – the A610 – linking Nottinghamshire to Derbyshire with speeds at 70mph.

Any potential suicide attempt off the bridge would also be putting the lives of motorists in danger.

Both officers felt more could be done and built up a case to ensure barriers were installed to prevent any further suicide attempts.

The officers worked with Broxtowe Borough Council and the highways department to bring their ideas to fruition.

They hope these measures will ensure Tinsley Bridge loses its reputation as a suicide hotspot after there was at least 31 suicide attempts between April 2021 to April 2023.

PC Leask said: “On New Year’s Eve in 2021, me and my colleague PC Rich Reynolds were on patrol when we saw a distressed woman on the other side of the bridge.

“She explained how she was not very happy, had a low mood and was suicidal. We got close enough, calmed her down, before we managed to bring her to safety. The police mental health team then arrived to take over.

“From that day forward we both decided there must be more we can do to protect and support the people of Eastwood and felt that Tinsley Bridge was in clear need of preventative and supportive measures.

“Any measure we wanted to put in place would also protect the motorists below.

“This is a very busy road with vehicles driving at 70mph and if a car is forced to swerve, we could be dealing with multiple casualties or fatalities.

"Sometimes, there is a perception we just lock people up when in fact some of the most important work that we do is keeping people safe especially when they are at their lowest point. Hopefully these measures show how much we want to protect the public.”

PC Reynolds added: “I have been to multiple incidents with PC Leask where people have attempted suicide, so this has encouraged us even more to try and prevent it happening again.

“We hope these measures will prevent people going to the bridge and they will seek the support they need. Not only are there barriers preventing those in distress accessing the other side of the bridge, there is signage directing them to the support they need.”

Neighbourhood Inspector Mike Ebbins added: “Neighbourhood Policing is all about identifying issues in the community and then working with partners to solve the problem. There is no better example of this in action then here at Tinsley Bridge.

“The location is a known spot for those attempting or threatening suicide. The officers have identified the urgent need for preventative measures and support for those in need. I am immensely proud of PC Leask and PC Reynolds for their perseverance and hard work here."

“We will always be there to help people at their lowest points and these measures I hope will go some way to protecting those who find themselves at Tinsley Bridge.”