In the past year, 93 people detained by police under the Mental Health Act in Norfolk spent longer than 24 hours in police cells waiting for a bed to become available.

It means these vulnerable people were held longer than suspected criminals.

Constabularies are only lawfully allowed to hold suspects for 24 hours unless they are charged and remanded or given permission by a magistrate to keep them for longer.

The figure fell for the first time in 2024/25, but had been steadily increasing every year since 2019.

A Freedom of Information request to Norfolk Constabulary has shown a record year for detentions under the Mental Health Act between April 2023 and March 2024 - 139 in total.

Of these, 112 were detained for longer than 24 hours.

In 2019/20, this happened just 15 times.

The situation has been described as "groundhog day" by campaigners, who have long lobbied for more mental health beds to be funded.

Mark Harrison (Image: Newsquest)

Mark Harrison, chairman of the........

© Norwich Evening News