A MAN who was pulled from the River Ouse in York this evening after jumping from a city-centre bridge has been held by police.

Officers were called to the stretch of the river near Lendal Bridge at about 6.20pm after a member of the public saw the man leap into the water and start swimming downstream.

North Yorkshire Police's control room said the officers who were in the area at the time were equipped with throwlines which helped the man get to the riverbank, due to a lack of exits from the water. He is not believed to have got into difficulties, but was "intoxicated" and taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, after which he has been detained by police. The fire service had also been contacted when the man was spotted jumping from the bridge.

River safety in York has been placed in the spotlight following the recent deaths of Megan Roberts and Ben Clarkson, whose bodies were found in the city's rivers weeks after they disappeared following nights out. A river safety summit was held in the city earlier this week, with agencies saying better education about the dangers posed by rivers is needed to prevent more tragedies.