Man suffers serious injuries after falling from M5 bridge

A man has been left seriously injured after he fell from a bridge on the M5. The incident closed part of the northbound stretch of motorway near West Bromwich this morning (Friday, October 25).

Ambulance crews rushed to the scene and treated the man at the roadside. He was then taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for further treatment. Part of the carriageway was closed for about an hour as personnel worked at the scene.

It has since fully reopened and traffic has returned to normal. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police told BlackCountryLive: "We were called to reports a man had fallen from a bridge on the M5 near junction 8, at just before 9.30am today (Fri).

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"The man was treated by ambulance crews at the scene before being taken to hospital with serious injuries. The road was re-opened by 10.30am."

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance added: "We were called to an incident on the M5 Northbound near junction 8, West Bromwich at 9.27am. An ambulance, paramedic officer, MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic were sent to the scene where, on arrival, crews found a man with serious injuries.

"He was treated by ambulance staff before being taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital."

Mental health and suicide support

Helplines and support groups

The NHS Choices website lists the following helplines and support networks for people to talk to.

• Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
• Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.
• PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
• Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity based in England providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
• Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
• Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.
•  Young Persons Advisory Service –  Providing mental health and emotional wellbeing services for Liverpool’s children, young people and families.  tel: 0151 707 1025    email: support@ypas.org.uk

Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency

Child poverty is soaring in Birmingham and without urgent change, will only get worse. Having worked with charities and community groups, BirminghamLive is campaigning for the following changes to start to turn the tide:

1. End the two-child benefit cap
2. Provide free school meals to every child in poverty
3. Create a city “aid bank” for baby and child essentials
4. Protect children’s and youth services
5. Create permanent, multi year Household Support Fund and give more Discretionary Housing grants
6. Set up child health and wellbeing hubs in our most deprived neighbourhoods
7. Appoint a Birmingham child poverty tsar
8. Provide free public travel for young people

You can see why in more detail here.

Read our full report Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency here.

What you can do to help.