TWO taxi drivers who stopped a teenage girl from throwing herself off the Humber Bridge have been praised.

The hysterical 17-year-old was said to have run towards railings and sobbed, "I want to die. Let me die."

Marian Dobre, of East Riding Cars (Cottingham) Ltd, picked up the girl in Cottingham in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

He drove her into Hull city centre, but she changed her mind and asked to be taken across the bridge just before 5am, saying a friend was waiting for her on the other side.

But once on the toll bridge, the young woman threw herself out of the moving car and made a run for the edge.

Mr Dobre, 30, said: "She was asking me how tall the bridge was and then about halfway across, she told me to stop the car.

"I told her I couldn't and she told me she was going to jump from the taxi.

"I tried to lock the doors, but she was too quick and had the car door open. I stopped and jumped out, thinking something was wrong with her."

The taxi driver, of west Hull, grabbed the desperate teenager as she tried to jump over the crash barrier.

He said: "I was trying to get her back into the car, but it was impossible. She told me she didn't have enough money to pay me, but I said 'it's okay, just get back in the car'.

"I was thinking she wanted to jump off the bridge. It was all so unexpected."

After 10 minutes, Mr Dobre was joined by fellow private hire driver Craig McDonagh.

A driver for 57 Cars, of Hessle Road, Mr McDonagh was taking a fare to Humberside Airport when he spotted Mr Dobre's taxi stopped by the side of the road.

He said: "I could see hazard lights about halfway across the bridge and said to my customer, 'This looks a bit strange'.

"I then saw two figures, a man and a girl, and he was trying to stop her from getting to the railings."

Mr McDonagh, 35, stopped his cab and asked his fare to call the police.

He said: "I jumped out of the taxi and as I reached them the girl was hysterical and fighting to get to the rail.

"I dragged her back and she said 'I have got nothing to live for'.

"We managed to calm her down, but then she made another bolt for the railings. We managed to restrain her and marched her away.

"The other driver ran to get his car and we forced her into it. We locked her in it until Humber Rescue and the police arrived. She was distraught."

The 6ft 5in driver said several other cars had driven past the scene in front of him without stopping.

He said: "Without us both there, I think she would have got through to the railing. I'm just hoping she's okay and glad we stopped her."

Ruth Youle, director of Hull Samaritans, was full of praise for the two taxi drivers.

She said: "I think they did a wonderful job. I can't imagine how traumatic it must have been for the driver to have somebody jump out of the car.

"This was an act of real help, a real Samaritan act, and I'm sure the first driver was grateful for the help.

"I'm very sorry for this girl and hope she gets in touch with us."

Ms Youle said The Samaritans, who have signs on the Humber Bridge offering help to troubled people, were keen to install a phoneline on the side of the bridge to help people in need.

A Humberside Police spokesman said: "We received a call from a member of the public at 4.58am reporting concern for the safety of a woman at the Humber Bridge. Police attended and took her to Hull Royal Infirmary."