THOUSANDS of people suffering from mental health problems are being locked up by police because appropriate care is unavailable, according to police research.

Figures published today reveal that people in England and Wales were held in police custody on a total of 4,537 occasions under section 136 of the Mental Health Act between 2014 and 2015. The National Police Chiefs Council lead for mental health and policing Commander Christine Jones labelled the findings “unacceptable.”

“People experiencing a mental health crisis are not criminals. Nor are police officers and staff medical professionals.