A young woman had to be taken to hospital after passers-by pulled her from the edge of a motorway bridge.

According to eye-witnesses, the woman was seen hanging from a bridge on the M65 close to Shadsworth on Monday.

Police were called to the incident and a spokesperson said: "We were called at 12:40pm on July 15 to reports of a concern for safety."

Oswaldtwistle Labour Councillor Glen Harrison, is leading a campaign to improve the safety of the bridges, particularly the bridge above the M65 at Knuzden, close to junction six.

It follows a number of similar incidents where police had been called over concerns for welfare, including two in June.

A petition has also been set up by Knuzden resident, Leanne Preston, who found herself talking a man down from the bridge as he was threatening to kill himself.

Cllr Harrison said: "Whilst raising or making safe any bridge may not solve the wider picture of the lack of adequate mental health provision, it seems senseless to me not to mitigate against foreseeable risks.

"The impact of witnessing this has effects that reach further than those who have taken their lives.

"From paramedics who attend the scene to the public who aid or witness it, this may lead to further fatalities to multiple people as well as the obvious mental trauma."