A family are demanding answers after a suicidal man was found hanged by his own belt in a room at Weller Wing.

Neil Leedham, of Oat Piece, Marston Moretaine, was admitted to the Phoenix Unit, part of the psychiatric wing at Bedford Hospital, at 8pm last Thursday, but within 20 minutes had been left alone to take his own life.

The 41-year-old's family are now consulting lawyers and say the Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust should have provided better care.

They say he had already been admitted to Weller Wing a week earlier – and released within hours – after apparently trying to drown himself in Stewartby Lake.

Mr Leedham's aunt, Georgina Reynolds, said: "In our opinion he was neglected. Their treatment of him was not acceptable when he was known to be at high risk of self-harm, we are absolutely appalled.

"They had a duty of care to him which they failed to fulfil.

"If you are taken into police custody, the first thing you do is remove items that could be used to self-harm. Why was he left alone with his belt and without counselling when he had just tried to take his life?

"This needs to be addressed. What we do not want is this happening again, or to put another family through what we have been."

Police were called to search for Mr Leedham on the day he died after his girlfriend, Emma Davis, received a suicidal email from him.

He returned home later, and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Miss Davis, from Winslow in Buckinghamshire, said: "I thought he was in safe hands.

"I believed at that point he had gone to the right place. He should have been looked after better."

Mr Leedham had been suffering from depression after he was made redundant from his job as a logistics manager.

His mother Helen Leedham, who lives in Nuneaton, said: "It's not going to bring my son back, but it should not have happened.

"He was classified as high risk, so why was he left in a room on his own with his belt for God's sake?

"The hospital have not even called me to offer any form of condolences or to answer my questions. I have called on three occasions and received no reply.

"It is unbelievable this could have happened and the level of care is in question here."

A spokesman for the Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust said: "The trust will be carrying out a full internal investigation into the circumstances of the events of Thursday evening and as such are unable to provide further information at this time. The trust would like to offer its sincere condolences to the family."

An inquest into Mr Leedham's death was opened and adjourned on Tuesday.