A LACK of safeguards to protect vulnerable people in care from being unlawfully stripped of their freedom constitutes a breach of human rights, mental-health charity Mind warned yesterday.

Tens of thousands of people in care have been left in limbo for more than a year while their carers applied to deprive them of their liberty, NHS Digital figures show.

A hospital or care home can apply to take away a patient's liberty if they are deemed to lack the ability to make decisions on their own care, for example those suffering from dementia.