A Labour peer who asked the Government to investigate the closure of the south side the Avonmouth Bridge on the eve of the August Bank Holiday weekend has accused Ministers of "washing their hands" of the issue.

Labour peer Lord David Stoddart of Swindon has received an answer to his written question about the necessity of the six-hour closure of the northbound M5 on Friday, August 28, while police were dealing with a man threatening to jump from the bridge.

Paul Anthony Cowling, 59, eventually jumped to his death at 7.30pm in the evening. The incident caused 30 miles of tailbacks and left hundreds of families stranded without food or water.

On behalf of the Government, Lord Alan West of Spithead said: "The decision to close a motorway is an operational matter for the police.

"In reaching such a decision they are fully aware of the disruption and inconvenience such a closure might cause. They must, however, give due priority to ensuring the safety of individuals involved in an incident, of the public at large, of emergency service workers attending an incident and of all other road users."

Avon and Somerset police referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission as a matter of course and the force's Professional Standards Department is also looking into it.

But Lord Stoddart was disappointed with the Government response.

"It appears that Ministers are washing their hands of the matter," he said. "I am not at all satisfied that the Independent Police Complaints Commission will be examining the whole aspect of road closures in the future.

"I would like to see the Highways Agency and the police working together to produce new guidelines on how to handle such incidents in the future as the closure of the bridge was a serious over-reaction."