A man has been rescued from the River Thames by a police officer he was threatening just minutes before.

Emergency services were alerted to the man entering the river around Richmond at 3:16pm on Saturday 27 July.

A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police said the man "had been threatening officers with a broken bottle and was refusing to come out of the water," as he was "suffering from mental ill health."

However, the situation quickly escalated when he was carried by the current into Richmond Lock.

One officer quickly jumped into the river to the man's aid despite his threats of violence.

The man was rescued with help of both lifeboats from the nearby RNLI station at Teddington, before being detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act "for his own protection" according to the Met.

While the heroic officer was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, he has since been discharged.

A spokesperson from Teddington RNLI warned onlookers against attempting similar rescues, saying: "We would urge members of the public not to enter the water if they see somebody in difficulty, but to dial 999.

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"If you can, keep an eye on the person, tell them to float on their back and if possible, throw them something that will help them float. Look out for emergency throw bags stationed along the river."