The Linden Centre in Chelmsford has been the site of seven suicides by hanging since 2000 despite receiving repeated criticism for safety failures
Police have launched an inquiry into a series of deaths among patients at an NHS mental health hospital which has been regularly criticised for safety failings.
Essex and Kent police are jointly investigating an unspecified number of deaths at the Linden Centre mental health unit, which is based at Broomfield acute general hospital in Chelmsford, Essex.
The inquiry has been prompted by the death in November 2012 of 20-year-old Matthew Leahy. He is one of seven fatalities that have occurred at the unit since 2000. All the deaths were by hanging.
Channel 5’s 5 News revealed the police action on Friday. The Linden Centre has been castigated by relatives of the deceased and the Care Quality Commission for promising but not implementing vital changes to reduce the risk of patients taking their own lives by using a ligature attached to fixtures or furniture at the unit.
