'We begged for help for years but it wasn't there'

The sister of a man who took his own life after battling mental health issues for years said there was "a complete lack of care and compassion" towards him.

Terry White - a father-of-two from Basildon - was 36 years old when he died in 2019. His death is one of more than 2,000 under mental health services in Essex which are the subject of the Lampard public inquiry.

Mr White's sister Emma Harley said the family had "begged for help for years...[but] it wasn't there; we were met with a brick wall at every turn".

The trust in charge of mental health services in Essex has apologised to bereaved families and said improvements have been made.

"He was full of energy, bouncing off the walls - so much fun to be around," Emma said of her younger brother.

"He used to get himself into a lot of pickles… but everybody loved him, everybody wanted to spend time with him."

Ms Harley's evidence at the Lampard Inquiry has been heard across the final two days of the fifth set of hearings.

The inquiry is looking into the deaths of more than 2,000 people under mental health services in Essex between 2000 and 2023.

"There needs to be real, radical, long-lasting change… we all recognise that has to happen after this [inquiry]," Ms Harley said.

"The main focus might be on Essex but this needs to trigger change across the whole country."

Baroness Lampard has repeatedly stated her intention that her recommendations are implemented following the inquiry, and has established a forum to try to ensure that - believed to be the first public inquiry to take such a measure.