A MAN in his 20s was arrested after allegedly scaling the M48 Severn Bridge and flying a drone from the top of the tower.

The crossing was shut for an hour from shortly after 8am on New Year’s Eve (Monday) after police were alerted by concerned bystanders.

The man reportedly climbed one of the 446ft-high towers and flew the drone, some 10 days after the Gatwick Airport drone chaos saw more than 1,000 flights cancelled.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said they had responded after a “concern for welfare” of a man on the bridge.

The police spokesperson said: “Officers attended the M48 Severn Bridge at 8.10am after concerns were raised for a man who appeared to have climbed one of the towers and was flying a drone from it.

“The man, aged in his 20s, came down from the tower voluntarily and has since been arrested for causing a public nuisance.”

The original Severn Bridge opened in 1966 and was a toll road for more than half a century until last month.

Traffic was left at a standstill for about 30 minutes, with emergency crews seen descending on the major route between England and Wales. The bridge was completely reopened after an hour.

Last February, the Review reported that 10 “thrill seekers” with a drone filmed themselves climbing the M48 Severn Crossing, which also led to the bridge’s temporary closure.

Sporting ‘Madness Jumpers’ tops, the group from Bristol had no safety harnesses when they started climbing around 8am, filming themselves with head cameras and a drone, with one even filmed hanging off the outside of a safety grill above the deadly drop.