LEAPING over the railings to save a woman from jumping off a bridge in Glasgow has earned recognition for an Alloa man.

George Grieve, 63, this month received the Above and Beyond Award from Greater Glasgow divisional commander Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland for his "act of bravery and courage" on July 20 last year.

On that day, the Wee County man had just left a Glasgow east end hospital following surgery to his rotator cuff when he observed a female on the wrong side of the safety barrier over the motorway.

Despite the fact that he could only use some of his upper body, Mr Grieve decided to save the woman's life "without hesitation".

He told the Advertiser: "It was just the spur of the moment, the wee lassie had [climbed] over the railing and was ready to jump.

"Unfortunately, I had just come out of hospital, surgery on my arm, so I couldn't pull her back over.

"So, the only way I could do it was to climb over the railing and get on the other side with her and pin her to the barrier or she was going to jump."

The duo was then locked into the precarious position for around half an hour. Meanwhile, emergency services arrived and traffic was brought to a halt on the busy motorway below.

Mr Grieve added: "I never thought twice about it until the adrenaline eased off and then I realised where I was: the wrong side of the barrier on a motorway bridge.

"We just held on for dear life and, thankfully ,two girls – who I would love to find out who they are – managed to get a hold of [me]."

He added: "I was holding onto her, and the two girls were holding onto me and then it took six policemen to actually lift me back. They managed to get her over – and then it was six cops who lifted up 20 stone – I'm 6ft 2in.

"My legs had just gone to jelly, took me a wee while to recover, but it was great to manage to stop her."

The citation, which came as part of the Greater Glasgow Divisional Commander's Recognition Awards 2020-2021, read: "Without hesitation you assisted other members of the public to ensure the safety of the female and assisted her to safety."

It added: "At times our job can be demanding, challenging and emotional and it's important that we reflect on and acknowledge the exceptional work being carried out by members of the public in support of policing across Greater Glasgow Division.

"Your act of bravery and courage demonstrates incredible strength of character and you should be immensely proud of your achievements."