A 54-year-old man has been charged after police were called to an incident which closed the A12 for a number of hours. 

Officers were called to reports of concerns for a man on a bridge over the A12 between Stanway and Marks Tey, near Colchester, at about 11.15am on Tuesday. 

The road was closed for five hours while police dealt with the incident and tried to bring the man to safety.

At about 4.50pm police were able to reopen the A12. 

Officers arrested the man on suspicion of intentionally and recklessly causing a public nuisance and he remains in custody.

Simon Graham, of Hunting Gate, Colchester, has since been charged with wilful obstruction of a highway and intentionally and recklessly causing a public nuisance.

Graham will appear before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Thursday.