STEVE Foggoa acted like a modern-day good samaritan when he stopped a man from jumping off a pedestrian footbridge.

But he says he is shocked and surprised that no-one else stopped to help.

Mr Foggoa, 33, a vehicle technician from Freshbrook in West Swindon, was travelling along Tewkesbury Way when he saw the man standing on the wrong side of the barrier on the footbridge near Toothill.

Pulling into a nearby lay-by, he calmly called the police.

Steve explained: "I originally thought, 'What was this guy up to?' I pulled into the lay-by and it was obvious he was unhappy, so I called the police from the car.

"I thought it would be best that way, rather than scrambling up the bridge with a mobile phone."

"It was clear that he was crying out for help but what shocked me more than anything was that three or four people walked past him over bridge almost right next to him including a postman, and they all ignored him.

"Okay he was hurling abuse but they're only words, and he wasn't a big guy either.

"Someone else could have easily acted."

Even though the police told him to stay in his car until they arrived, he decided to walk up the bridge and got within a few feet of the man.

Steve said: "I asked him what he was doing and what was wrong.

"He was very emotional and looked like he was under the influence of something. He swore at me and told me to go away, and that I wouldn't understand his problems but I couldn't leave him.

"Every so often he would lean back and take his hand off the rail, then quickly grab it again.

"Within a few minutes I could hear a police car coming up the road, and I could see that the guy was becoming quite alarmed, I was convinced he was going to jump, so I ran over and grabbed him, and pulled him on to the safe side of the railings."

A police patrol car arrived within 10 minutes of Steve making the 999 call on Wednesday afternoon.

Alvina Kumar, spokeswoman for Swindon Police, explained: "The prompt intervention by Mr Foggoa is to be commended.

"He was able to persuade and help a young man down from the overbridge without harm."

She confirmed police detained a 26-year-old local man, for the safety of himself and others, under the provisions of the Mental Health Act.

He was released yesterday after having been medically assessed as to his mental well-being.