THE family of an East Lancashire man who hanged himself while coping with serious debts say they were 'let down' by the authorities.

The 51-year-old suffered from memory problems, which led to mounting financial difficulties, says a serious case review conducted by Lancashire Safeguarding Adults Board.

But when it came to dealing with his challenges, which left him so poor he was barely able to eat, he was 'hastily' discharged from mental health services, the review discovered.

And when he missed later community appointments the man, who has not been named, slipped through the net.

Now Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has been issued with advice to help prevent similar tragedies.

The family of the man, named only as Adult G, has expressed frustration at his death.

Review author Hayley Frane said: "Adult G’s son felt he and his mother were left to cope alone with no community support or follow up and that his father was ‘totally let down by services’."

The father-of-two had memory problems told mental health staff in mid-2016 how he had raised his 17-year-old son as a single parent since the age of two and had tried to secure work recently, without success.

Tests showed he had vitamin B12 deficiencies, which may have contributed to his memory problems.

He was also left waiting six months for a follow-up appointment after having an MRI scan.

But Adult G failed to attend for a series of medical appointments, with a mental health treatment team and the memory assessment service.

He was taken to A&E by his son in January 2017, after a suicide bid, and admitted informally as a patient. But after a short stay, he was discharged in February as he was thought to present a 'low risk'. Later Adult G made at least one more attempt on his own life before his son found him hanging the following June.

Miss Frane said: "It appears to be evident Adult G's vulnerability factors were never addressed.

"The significance of this is that there was a clear and repeated link between these factors spiralling and Adult G’s attempts of hanging."

She recommended extra steps be taken by Lancashire Care to deal with patients with memory impairment, and that more should be done to help meet the needs of young carers.