Bystanders talked a distressed boy from jumping off a bridge into a busy bypass.

Police were called to the B2000 bridge over the Wainscott Bypass when witnesses reported seeing a boy on the wrong side of the railings in a distressed state.

Mechanic Kevin Waters, 51, from Higham, was driving over the bridge when he saw the boy – aged between 10 and 14 – and pulled over to help before officers arrived.

“The boy was in a right state,” he said. “He was on the edge and it’s a massive drop – articulated lorries go under with a gap – and it was busy.

“He had his hands on the barrier but he was on the wrong side. If he had lost grip with his hands, he would have fallen.

“I just tried to play it cool and say ‘are you all right son, what are you doing that side?’ It was quite distressing.”

He described how the situation lasted for about 10 minutes, and the boy became more distressed as more drivers pulled over. Mr Waters said: “He started to edge the other way, and when he did that I thought there was a chance he was going over.”

Police arrived quickly and stopped the traffic on the London-bound carriageway of the bypass until the boy climbed back to safety.

A police spokesman confirmed they had been called to the bridge at 1pm on Wednesday following “concerns for the welfare of a person who was on the wrong side of the railings”, adding: “He was the right side of the railings by 1.08pm and taken home safe and well.”