The Police Ombudsman have concluded the PSNI were not responsible for the death of a man who went missing from hospital.

Harry Jack, 44, had left Altnagelvin Hospital still wearing his pyjamas in October 2006 while being treated for a fractured skull. He was found dead three days later in a field two miles from the hospital.

A woman who had spotted Mr Jack had contacted the hospital asking them to pass on her mobile number to the police. The PSNI claimed they did not receive the message, however a spokesperson from Altnagelvin hospital has said that they received two calls about Mr Jack and passed the information to the police.

Although the Ombudsman believed the PSNI were not responsible for the death, the Ombudsman did point out a number of failings by the police in their procedures with dealing with missing persons.

The Ombudsman told the PSNI they had "acted quickly and appropriately on any information they did receive". However, there had been some "administrative failures" in the PSNI's handling of the case.

Investigating the case on behalf of the Ombudsman, Al Hutchinson also pointed out police had failed to conduct a formal assessment of the risks faced by Mr Jack, and also failed to complete relevant paper work.

Mr Jack's family has called for an inquiry into his death.

Mr Jack’s sister, Catherine Nixon said: "We're all still broken hearted - there are days you think you see him in the house.

"We just want closure for the family, especially for my mother."

The PSNI said it would carry out a review of its missing persons policy.

(DW/JM)