TWO police officers talked a tearful 25-year-old woman out of killing herself after she threatened to throw herself from a bridge on to West Cepen Way, Chippenham.

PC Bill Monk and PC David Ibbott, members of the armed response unit based in Devizes, were driving into Chippenham late Sunday night.

They were told that a woman was standing on the bridge 30 feet above the bypass near Chippenham Rugby Club.

She had called police on her mobile phone to tell them she intended to jump.

The two officers spotted a car parked on the north- bound carriageway and climbed on to the bridge.

"We saw a young woman on top of the bridge behind the railings, and she was very distressed," said PC Ibbott.

"Bill engaged her in conversation and I walked up to stand behind her. He was talking for about ten minutes when she decided to come down.

"She was in floods of tears and he managed to calm her."

PC Ibbott added: "We do have to deal with this kind of incident quite often. Sometimes when people feel they have no one to listen to them we are a last resort. It's very sad. And sometimes they go too far."

The woman from Swindon was taken to Chippenham police station, checked over by the police surgeon, and is now staying with family outside the area.

"The police officers did an excellent job in talking the woman out of jumping," said a police spokesman.