Police officers saved a suicidal man with tea and sympathy.

The 35-year-old was threatening to throw himself from Newcastle's High Level bridge.

Drinkers at the Bridge Hotel contacted the police when they saw the man standing on a narrow ledge.

He had clambered over railings and was swaying above the drop.

A police officer hit on the idea of providing him with a calming cup of tea, and staff at the hotel brewed one up and took it to the scene.

The officer leaned over the parapet and handed it to the man.

The gesture broke the ice and, 40 minutes later, he agreed to climb off the ledge.

The man was yesterday being interviewed at a police station in Newcastle.

A Northumbria police spokesman said: "It is not uncommon for our officers to deal with this kind situation.

"They managed to create a bond with this person, who saw good sense and came down."