Council bosses have issued a warning after a man scaled a huge bridge in Salford Quays. The move was branded "incredibly dangerous" after photos showed him on top of the structure.
Police and council officers are trying to find the man who climbed Millennium Lift Bridge, also known as The Lowry Bridge, a 300ft-long footbridge which crosses the Manchester Ship Canal between Salford and Trafford.
The incident which happened between 7pm and 8pm on Monday night. Pictures taken by a neighbour in an apartment overlooking the bridge showed what appeared to be a young man, standing on top of the huge 36ft-high archway, the highest point of the bridge structure just before it began to rain heavily.
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He is said to have walked to the middle, raised his arms and carried on across the bridge. Others were standing on ground level filming him on their mobile phones onlookers said.
Meanwhile, a dad pushing a pram was among a string of pedestrians who walked underneath blissfully unaware. The incident comes just over a fortnight after a much-loved teenager died in the water at the Quays.
There were also pictures of people jumping from bridges into the water just days afterwards as the region baked in record temperatures. Council chiefs have now issued another warning saying it is 'incredibly dangerous' to scale bridges as they pleaded with people not to do it.
One Twitter user who shared the pictures said: "This is a massive health and safety risk to both this individual and more importantly the pedestrians (including kids). Unfortunately, it’s not the first time but I wonder if this could be stopped?"
The Salford Quays Community Forum said on the social media site: "We've sent this image to the council and asked them to attempt to identify the individual with CCTV."
Councillor Barbara Bentham, Lead Member for Environment, Neighbourhoods and Community Safety at Salford City Council, said: “We are aware of a person on the top of one of the bridges at Salford Quays.
"Officers are working to identify the person and we are liaising with colleagues at Greater Manchester Police. It is incredibly dangerous to climb on the bridges and we would urge people not to do it.”
Incidents, where there is a danger to life, should be reported to the police immediately on 999, the council added.
Earlier this month Salford City mayor Paul Dennett announced six new police officers would be drafted in to help patrol Salford Quays.
It followed the death of Kalen Waugh. The 16-year-old died after he 'got into difficulties whilst swimming' in the Quays on July 16, an inquest heard. His provisional cause of death was given as 'death by drowning'.
Yet just 24 hours later people were pictured jumping from bridges into the water. "Unfortunately, we cannot prevent all instances of jumping into the water and jumping from bridges in the area," Mr Dennett said.
However, he said the council had carried out extensive work to try to deter young people and adults from climbing and jumping from bridges and swimming in the former docks.
The area is monitored by CCTV cameras all year round and by joint council and police patrols in hot weather - which are now being stepped up. Under-18s caught jumping from bridges or illegally swimming will receive a police warning and adults will be issued with a £100 fixed penalty notice, said the council.
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