Three year old dropped from bridge in Bolton

Police have a launched an investigation after a man dropped a three year old girl from a bridge into a river in Bolton.

Officers are treating it as an apparent attempted murder suicide.

Shortly after 8.30pm on Friday 29th September, police were called to Crompton Way in Astley Bridge to reports a 39-year old man was stood on a bridge threatening to drop a child into the river. Specially trained police negotiators attended and an operation was put in place to rescue the child from the river in case she fell.

The man would not speak to officers and dropped the child into the water approximately 30 feet below. An officer in the river managed to reach the child and she was carried to safety and taken to hospital where she's been treated for a broken wrist.

The man then fell from the bridge into the water. Officers were able to reach him quickly and he was also taken to hospital. He sustained minor injuries and has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Superintendent Paul Savill, of GMP's Bolton borough, said: "Thankfully the little girl will recover from her physical injuries, but the trauma she was put through is heart-breaking. My thoughts are with her and her family.

"We have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder. He will be questioned by police at the earliest opportunity.

"We have a specialist team of negotiators who always try their utmost to resolve these situations without injury and get people the support they need. Sadly, on this occasion, the man failed to engage; however, we had a second team waiting in the water to enable us to rescue the child within seconds of her entering the water.

"We will now ensure that the little girl and her family have all the support going forward, to help her make a full recovery."

A voluntary referral to the PICC has been made.

• Bolton