Following last night’s incident on the M25, a 30 year old man from Hemel Hempstead was arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance. He is currently receiving mental health support from medical professionals.

Officers and specialist negotiators spent five hours working to bring the man to safety from a bridge over the motorway near to J22 at London Colney.

To ensure the safety of motorists during this time, the M25 was closed in both directions, between J21A to J22 clockwise and J21 and J23 anti-clockwise.

Officers on motorbikes filtered through the traffic to check on motorists who were stuck on the motorway. Highways Agency Traffic Officers were also in attendance. We drafted in resources from across the county, working with our partners within the Highways Agency and the County Council along with neighbouring forces.

We worked to turn vehicles around and direct them off the carriageway but due to the length of the tailbacks this was a slow process. Those with medical concerns/conditions were prioritised.

The closure also caused congestion on surrounding routes and local roadworks were postponed to prevent the flow of traffic being further hindered.

We appreciate that the situation was frustrating. Our priority was to get the man safely off the bridge and motorists on their way as soon as possible. The motorway was re-opened just after 9.30pm yesterday (Tuesday). We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience during a challenging evening.