Motorway is closed for TWO HOURS while police negotiate with woman Who Wanted To Jump off a bridge

Furious motorists were stranded in extraordinary 19-mile tailbacks today as the Bank Holiday getaway was thrown into chaos when part of the M5 was shut while police negotiated with a woman on a bridge - before arresting her.

Thousands of drivers were seething after their cars, caravans and lorries were stuck for three hours while police negotiated with the 25-year-old woman, before eventually arresting her on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.

Motorists played rugby and walked their dogs to pass the time. One said the woman should 'hurry up and get down safely' while another added: 'Three hours stuck in traffic on the M5 and now my car has broken. What a day.'

The incident ruined the start of the long weekend for motorists after the M5 was shut in both directions between Junctions 26 and 27 near Wellington in Somerset at 11am as police negotiated with the woman for hours.

Traffic was not moving on the huge stretch of the M5 from Taunton to Cullompton, Highways England said, and massive tailbacks formed when police closed the road over their 'concern for a woman on a motorway bridge'.

Avon and Somerset Police later said she was ‘being moved from the bridge’ and was ‘safe and well’, before adding that a 25-year-old woman was in custody after being arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.

Some of the trapped motorists had set up deckchairs by the side of the road, others played with a frisbee and one driver even unloaded a portable toilet from his trailer before putting it on the roadside for people to use.  

Police were called to the road at 9.30pm before they shut it at 11am. The stretch was reopened at about 12.45pm.