A 29-year-old man was airlifted to hospital with “numerous” injuries after he jumped from a bridge onto a railway line in Telford.

The line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton was closed for about an hour after the man was seen to jump from the Waterloo Road bridge in Ketley last night.

Ambulance crews, firefighters, British Transport Police, West Mercia Constabulary and the air ambulance from Cosford were called to the scene following the incident at 5.25pm.

The man suffered back and abdominal pain and was placed on a spinal board before being flown to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: “British Transport Police were advised by the ambulance service that a male person had jumped off Waterloo Road bridge, Ketley, onto the railway below.

“Ambulance, police and fire service attended and a male was transferred by air ambulance to Selly Oak Hospital, although it is believed that his injuries are not life threatening.

“The railway line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton was closed until 6.27pm due to the incident.”

Sub-officer Kevin Maddox, from Wellington Fire Station, said: “We assisted the ambulance personnel to put the person onto a stretcher and take him to the helicopter which had landed in the Hadley Learning Community playing fields.”

Chris Kowalik, a spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said several crews, the air ambulance from Cosford and an incident support officer were called to the scene after the incident.

Train passenger Bob Pearce, of Stafford, said the train made an abrupt stop at about 6.10pm.

He said: “There was an announcement that we were being delayed then the air ambulance, fire and rescue, paramedics and police arrived.”