TWO Newport friends were commended by Gwent Police after they saved a woman who was threatening to jump off a Newport bridge.

Jeff Seymour, 57, of Alway, was walking home from a Dragons game with his friend, Martin Wilton, on August 31 when he saw the 22-year-old woman apparently attempting to jump off the Millennium Bridge into the river Usk.

Mr Seymour tackled the woman to the ground, and she was detained by police under the Mental Health Act.

A Gwent Police spokesman said: “We commend the actions of the members of the public who helped to keep the woman safe before officers arrived.”

Mr Seymour said it was around 10.30pm when he noticed the woman sitting on the handrail of the bridge with her feet facing out towards the water.

He said: “I just thought, ‘what is she going to do?’”

He said he approached the woman, and she told him: “I’m going to jump.”

This led to Mr Seymour grabbing her by her collar and pulling her to the ground.

When the woman got up and tried to run off, Mr Seymour jumped on her, bringing her down.

Passers-by had already called the police, who then attended and restrained the woman before taking her away.

Mr Seymour said: “I didn’t have time to be scared but it did take me a while to get to sleep that night. I found it quite upsetting.”

A Gwent Police spokesman said officers received a call at around 10.15pm on August 31 reporting a woman who was telling members of the public she was going to jump from the bridge.

He said the woman is now in the care of the local health authority.