FEARS for the safety of a man on a bridge over the M40 brought traffic to a standstill on Monday evening.
Police were able to bring the incident to a safe conclusion around 7pm, and the man in his 30s, has been detained under the Mental Health Act.
The M40 was shut in both directions between junctions 15 and 16 near Warwick and Henley, and southbound, from the M42.
The incident held commuters up to four hours and congestion along diversions also caused chaos.
Ch Supt Alex Franklin-Smith from Warwickshire Police said: “We would like to thank all motorists who experienced significant disruption as a result of this incident, for their continued patience, understanding and compassion.
“The threat of harm to both the individual concerned and to vehicles driving on the M40 was so significant, there was no alternative but to close the motorway and for it to remain closed until the incident had run its course.
“We strive to resolve such matters as quickly as possible, but our number one priority is to put the safety of everyone concerned first and to protect life.”
