Missing schizophrenic man found safe (From Croydon Guardian)

Man missing from mental hospital near Croydon found safe

1:05pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News

A young man with schizophrenia who walked out of a mental hospital has been found.

Andrew McArthur was reported missing from Royal Bethlem Hospital at around 7pm yesterday evening after failing return from a short trip to a nearby Tesco on Wickham Road, Shirley.

The alarm was raised and family members have spent today searching the Croydon and Bromley area for the 27-year-old, before he weas picked up by police just after noon.

His older sister Sarah, who explained he suffers delusions when he misses his medication, said: “My mum called me to say police have picked him up from the roadside and are returning him to hospital which is great. When something like this happens you panic but I am grateful to everyone to helped in the search."

Mr McArthur, originally from Northumberland was diagnosed with the mental illness when he was 18 and has struggled with treatment since, moving to the specialist unit in West Wickham last year.

Initial treatment had appeared to be working and staff considered him capable of going on short journeys unassisted.

Miss McArthur, who lives in Shepherds Bush, said: "He went missing once before from the home in Northumberland and drove to Belgium. We have had so many conversations with him about not going off.”