A LOCAL action plan to support people with mental health issues is being co-ordinated by Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens.

It follows the signing of a national agreement, called the Mental Health Concordat, which sets out commitments to work together to improve access to support before, during and after a crisis point.

Sue Mountstevens will be holding a mental health conference on April 30 and the Concordat also sets out principles around the use of police cells for detaining people under section 136 of the Mental Health Act.

Ms added: “I have been very vocal that police cells are not the appropriate place for people suffering from mental illness. Individuals with mental health needs, many of whom have committed no crime, need a health-based response as for any physical condition.”