Nets were considered as a way to thwart May Morning revellers jumping off Magdalen Bridge in Oxford, it was revealed today.

Green city councillor David Williams suggested the idea earlier this week as an alternative to what he said was the costly police and council scheme to barricade and close the bridge on Thursday morning.

But today, John Kelly, Oxfordshire County Council's emergency planning officer, said the idea for nets to catch jumpers had been looked at - and rejected.

He told the Oxford Mail: "We carried out risk assessments into many proposed measures and decided the nets could be quite dangerous."

The plans to ensure the annual celebrations pass off safely were revealed as the emergency services said it was cheaper to close Magdalen Bridge than allow jumpers to injure themselves.

About 30 city council security staff and 25 police officers will protect the barriers during the celebrations.

Three ambulances will be at the scene and other crews will be on standby if required.

Magdalen College home bursar Mark Blandford-Baker led appeals for revellers not to leap from the bridge into the river.

He said: "The punishment could be them ending up in hospital.

"Jumping is not part of the 500-year tradition. They have only jumped in since around 1982 - and that's not a tradition in my book."

He added he believed three or four people had been left in wheelchairs because of jumping off bridges.

This will be the third year running that barriers have been in place.

In 2005, 100 people leaped from the bridge. About 40 of them were injured.

The cost to the NHS that year was estimated to be about £50,000.

To close the bridge and impose strict security measures is expected to cost the taxpayer less than £10,000.

Chief Insp Chris Sharp, of Oxford police, said: "We will have enough officers to ensure safety and will be looking at reopening the road as soon as it's feasible to do so.

"Enjoy the event and be safe and responsible. Remember it's about 500 years of tradition.

"We're trying to save people from themselves. They can quite easily jump in any other day of the year but not while the barriers are there."

He said cost was not a major issue, because police and emergency services would have to be present even if the bridge was open, because of the number of people expected to turn up to hear Magdalen College Choir sing the traditional Hymnus Eucharisticus at about 6am.

The bridge will be closed from 4am until about 8.30am.

Mr Kelly said: "All these plans are for safety, not to stop people from enjoying the day."