A PATIENT under close observation on a psychiatric ward, hanged himself three days after his admission to hospital.

Fred Robinson, aged 80, was found hanged by his belt, anchored to his bed-head, five minutes after he had been checked by a nurse who thought he was asleep.

The retired plumber, from High Street, Marske, was a voluntary patient. He had been referred to St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, for an assessment by his GP, Dr Mohammed Islam, in April last year.

This followed two incidents at Mr Robinson's home when he dropped a radio into a basin of water, then was later discovered in his garden with a kitchen knife.

Because of a shortage of beds, Mr Robinson had to sleep in a locked hospital ward containing patients suffering from dementia and was distressed to see a male patient hit a woman patient in the face.

His grandaughter, Jennifer Wardle, who visited him in hospital, told the Middlesbrough inquest: "He wanted to go home. He said, 'it's a nut-house'. There was no person he could talk to.''

She said the family had wanted to take Mr Robinson home where they could look after himbetter, but were over ruled by medical staff.

She told Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield: "We feel his situation was mismanaged.''

Mr Sheffield recorded a verdict that Mr Robinson killed himself.