PEOPLE in a mental health crisis are to be offered more support, Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens has pledged.

Ms Mountstevens held a conference this week to discuss the issue and met with the NHS, Avon and Somerset Police and charities.

She said: “I want to see all partners working much more closely together to ensure people with mental health problems receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place.

“Mental health is a huge issue across the whole of the UK.”

Following the launch of the Government’s national Mental Health Concordat in February, emergency services will now develop an action plan to discuss how to care and support sufferers.

Ms Mountstevens added: “The Concordat was the first important national step to realising this, but we have a lot of work to do locally.

“The conference was the first step I would hope in the next six months we can come to an agreement between all the partners about how best to support people in mental health crisis in Avon and Somerset.

“We all want to get to a point where we stop people with mental health issues being locked up by the police.”