The snap that stopped a thousand cars after amateur photographer closes M6 as drivers thought he was suicidal

A MOTORWAY was shut after a man photographing the sunset from a bridge was mistakenly thought to be suicidal.

Amateur snapper Charlie Shelton, 31, of Nuneaton, Warwicks, was admiring the view from the bridge while taking a few snaps.

But cops thought he was going to jump from the structure, over the M6 motorway in Coventry, West Mids - and stopped all traffic.

Charlie said: "I wasn't doing much that evening and there was a lovely sunset, so I thought I'd try and get some nice pictures of the fading light.

"I drove up to the bridge, got my tripod out and started snapping away.

"Suddenly a man came out, told me I'd parked in front of his house and asked me what I was doing.

"The next thing a policeman appeared asking if I'd seen anyone on the bridge.

"I said I hadn't seen anyone but would keep an eye out.

"I had no idea they meant me.

"Then an unmarked and a marked police car had stopped all the traffic going one way on the M6 and I began to realise they must have thought I was going to jump.

"All I was doing was taking pictures and this came out of nowhere.

"I wasn't even remotely leaning over or anything like that, I was just taking pictures."

Charlie was mortified when the closure caused huge tailbacks on the motorway just after 9pm on Saturday evening.

Luckily, he still had time to get some "great shots", which he has since posted on his photography Facebook page.

He said: "I'm unsure which exact photo made an unmarked police car halt all of the traffic on the M6 and the policeman climb the bridge to me this evening, but I can tell you that nobody was harmed in the making of them.

"Oh, such drama on a Saturday night."

A Warwickshire police spokesman said: "We were called at 9.14pm on Saturday 25 June to reports of concerns for the safety of a man on a bridge over the M6, J2 to J3.

"Officers attended and ascertained that the man was not at risk."

Charlie added: “A policeman appeared ­asking if I’d seen anyone on the bridge. I had no idea they meant me.

“I wanted some nice pictures so went up with my camera and tripod. I wasn’t leaning over.”