A GRANDMOTHER risked her life to save a man from jumping 40ft from a bridge.

Celia Knowles sprang into action when she saw the middle-aged man climbing over the side of a bridge, about to jump into the freezing river below.

The 50-year-old ran towards the man, risking falling into the river, and became involved in a desperate struggle to pull him to the pavement and safety.

The grandmother-of-two then sat on him, preventing him from returning to the side of the Wearmouth Bridge, in Sunderland.

Ms Knowles, who lives in Whitburn, Sunderland, is the manager of the Croftside House sheltered accommodation complex.

She said: "I'm still in shock about it all.

"I saw a man walking towards me and just assumed he'd had a Christmas drink because he was swaying from side to side.

"For some reason, I just stopped and looked round and saw him half-way over the railings and about to throw himself off the bridge. I ran over and pulled him back on to the pavement.

"He was a big man so I had to sit on him while I called the police."

Her daughter, Leanne Turner, 29, said: "My mam only went out to do some Christmas shopping and ended up saving someone's life. She's a real hero.

"I've been telling my two kids their nana has stopped someone jumping off a bridge and they're so proud of her."

The incident happened last Thursday at about 3pm, when Ms Knowles was shopping for last-minute Christmas presents for her two grandchildren.

After the incident, she was thanked by police and ambulance crews for her quick thinking and bravery.

She said: "I never usually walk across that bridge because I park in the town centre most days, so it was just a lucky twist of fate that I was there to drag him away from the edge."

A police spokesman said: "There was an incident on the Wearmouth Bridge and the bridge was closed for a short time for the safety of the public and the man involved.

"Anyone who puts their life on the line to save someone else from danger should be commended for their bravery."

The man was arrested for a breach of the peace but later released without charge.