A FORMER refuse collector, sectioned under the Mental Health Act, died as a direct result of absconding from an ‘open’ hospital ward, an inquest has found.

Mark Coffey, 33, from Nelson, who had been deemed a ‘chronic’ risk to others and himself, left the Darwen Ward at Royal Blackburn Hospital on April 15.

Hours later, Mr Coffey, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was found collapsed in the gents at the Lord Nelson pub after taking a heroin overdose.

The inquest heard he had become “increasingly frustrated” during a seven-month wait to be transferred to secure facility, Guild Lodge in Preston.

Mr Coffey’s brother, Shaun said he would be campaigning for “lessons to be learned” from Mark’s death and he believed security on the ward was “relaxed”.

He said: “I’m going to write to all the local health trusts and MPs and ask them to tighten up security procedures after what I’ve learned here.

"Other families shouldn’t have to go through what we have in losing Mark and I hope highlighting his case can help prevent it happening again.”

During Mr Coffey’s stay on the Darwen Ward there were concerns from his care team about not taking medication and aggressive behaviour.

Initially at Blackburn he was assigned to Calder Ward within the Pendle View Unit, the secure pyschiatric intensive care unit.

However, in October 2010 he was transferred to the unsecured Darwen Ward, where he came under the care of consultant Dr Paul Reed.

It is believed that after Mr Coffey left the ward he caught one of the hospital’s shuttle buses, to return to Nelson before “going for a night out”.

After a two-day inquest held at Clitheroe Town Hall, a ten-strong jury delivered a narrative verdict on the circumstances of Mr Coffey’s death.

"In it they said “his absconsion directly led to his death”.