A MAN jumped from a city centre bridge into the River Ouse in York on Saturday night (March 29).

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

Officers in the area were equipped with throw lines to help the man get to the river bank. He was not in difficulty, but was believed to be drunk.

It comes just days after an emergency river safety summit in the city. The event was largely in response to the recent deaths of Megan Roberts and Ben Clarkson in the city’s rivers.