A man is leaving the district because he says mental health provision is so poor it has left him feeling unsafe.

Chris Danes, 54, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, says his care has deteriorated so much in the past four years, he is moving to Dorset after 17 years in Maldon.

He additionally wants to give mental health sufferers a voice, forming a pressure group to get their points of view across.

Mr Danes, of Mount Pleasant, said: “I don’t feel safe here.

"The continual frustration is ongoing from four years ago, having a community psychiatric nurse, who specialised in bi-polar, to now, when I don’t know the name of my carer and I haven’t been able to find out.”

He is hopeful a group can be formed to give patients a voice about their care.