A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he dropped a three-year-old girl 50ft off a bridge into a river.

Greater Manchester Police believe the incident at Astley Bridge, Bolton, where officers were forced to pull the toddler and man to safety, may have been an attempted murder-suicide.

The man was approached by officers at around 8.30pm on Friday in Crompton Way where he was threatening to drop the toddler into the river below.

He refused to speak to specially-trained police negotiators and dropped the girl into the water at 9.50pm, before jumping in himself.

An officer who was already in the river quickly rescued toddler, and she was taken to hospital where she was found to have a broken wrist.

After both were out of the water, a witness claims he heard the man asking medics if the child was okay.

The man was arrested after a three-year-old girl was dropped 50ft off a bridge in Crompton Way, Bolton (pictured) into the river below

The man (pictured centre) was arrested after being retrieved from the river. He was treated for minor injuries

An employee of the nearby cinema said they 'don't know the girl survived' the 50ft drop (pictured)

Police were called to the scene (pictured) at 8.30pm yesterday and were negotiating with the man for over an hour before he dropped the girl in the water at 9.50pm

After plunging into the water, the man was also recovered and taken to a nearby car park, where he was found to have minor injuries.

He was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Joiner, Stephen Lomax, heard the commotion from Cineworld car park, which sits at water level.

He told the Bolton News: 'I heard shouts and screaming, the man had a deep growl. The little girl must have been terrified.'

Mr Lomax, 34, said that following the rescue from the river, police took the man to the car park nearby where they waited for an ambulance.

Witnesses claim the man was taken to the Cineworld car park nearby where he was treated my medics and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

The man (pictured second left) asked if the child was okay after he had been arrested, according to a witness

In the car park he claims he heard the man ask if the child was okay.

Mr Lomax had been driving down Crompton Way towards Astley Bridge when he was turned back at the police cordon.

He saw police arrive at the Cineworld car park and head towards the river with torches for the rescue operation.

Another man has told of his horror after driving past the scene last night and seeing the man dangling his legs over the side of the bridge with the three-year-old on his lap.

Simon Hartshorn, 50, said: 'I was passing at around half eight last night following my friend in a car, I saw a cop car, an officer, a pram and the man sat on the bridge with his arms around a young girl.

'I said to my friend it looks like he has got a young child on him when I got to his house.

'An hour or two later I was making my way home when I spotted all of the roads blocked off.

The man was taken to a Cineworld car park after being recovered from the water in Bolton

Pictured is the remainder of the crime scene near Cineworld, Astley Bridge, Bolton

'There was so many police officers and cars blocking the roads off and dealing with it.

'I was only told this morning that he has jumped.'

Mr Hartshorn said that it was such a shock to have something like this happen so locally.

He added: 'I can't believe they both survived, I know they have injuries but what has the kid done, nothing.

'I can't get my head round it.'

A Cineworld employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'Loads of police and ambulances turned up last night.

'We didn't know what was happening and our supervisors were running around to try and work out what was going on.

'One of the policemen explained the situation and told us not to go round the back and into that area.

'I have seen on the news this morning that the girl has survived but I don't know how, the bridge is so high.'

Witnesses say they don't know how the three-year-old victim survived the 50ft drop (pictured)

The three-year-old girl was thrown off a bridge (pictured) in Astley Bridge, Bolton yesterday evening

Cars run over the bridge and is 50ft above the water below. There is a Cineworld cinema at water level, which is reportedly where the man was taken after being taken out of the water

Superintendent Paul Savill, of Greater Manchester Police's Bolton borough, said: 'Thankfully the little girl will recover from her physical injuries, but the trauma she was put through is heart-breaking.

'My thoughts are with her and her family.

'We have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder.

'He will be questioned by police at the earliest opportunity.

'We have a specialist team of negotiators who always try their utmost to resolve these situations without injury and get people the support they need.

'Sadly, on this occasion, the man failed to engage; however, we had a second team waiting in the water to enable us to rescue the child within seconds of her entering the water.

'We will now ensure that the little girl and her family have all the support going forward, to help her make a full recovery.'

The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.