Motorway closed after man climbs bridge to fly a drone
A MAN was arrested yesterday after he climbed 446ft up a motorway bridge tower to fly a drone.
Both carriageways of the M48 on Severn Bridge were shut to vehicles after the suspect was spotted scaling one of the towers.
Traffic was left at a standstill for 30 minutes on the crossing linking England and Wales.
The incident comes just 10 days after about 1,000 flights were disrupted at Gatwick airport when it was forced to close following reports of a drone flying over the runway.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Constabulary said: “Officers attended the M48 Severn Bridge at 8.10am this morning after concerns were raised for a man who appeared to have climbed one of the towers and was flying a drone off it.
“The man, aged in his 20s, came down from the tower voluntarily and has since been arrested for causing a public nuisance.”
Highways England said it was deeply concerned and that “a person has put their life at serious risk”.
A spokesman said: “The incident was quickly spotted on our security cameras and reported to police and thankfully there was no injury or worse on this occasion.
“Appropriate security is in place on the bridge. We are liaising with Traffic chaos as drone was released
Avon and Somerset Police and will be undertaking investigations to determine if any damage was caused during the incident.”
Traffic was brought to a halt on the older of the two Severn crossings after it was closed as a result of the incident.
It was originally opened in 1966, with the Second Severn Crossing, now known as the Prince of Wales Bridge, completed in 1996.
Tolls had been in placed along both the M4 and M48 bridges but the fees were scrapped on December 17.
Two self-styled “urban explorers” scaled one of the Severn Bridge towers earlier this year and posted a series of photographs online.