A JUDGE has attacked the mental health system after he revealed a sex offender who molested a schoolgirl has still not been treated seven months after committing the offence.

And today two MPs called for urgent action to be taken to help the mentally ill man from Brierfield who had been forced to wait seven months for treatment at Calderstones Hospital in Whalley.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said the length of time Mohammed Latif had had to wait was "appalling".

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice, who is MP for Latif and his young victim, said he would be lobbying to make sure he got the treatment he needed.

Latif, 21, desperately needed treatment but the system had failed him, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Judge Raymond Bennett hit out at the mental health service for dragging its heals after he was forced to put off getting help for him for "the seventh or eighth time".

The judge, who wanted to make a supervision and treatment order, said the social services had done their best to organise supervision but the order could not be made without the co-operation of the medical profession.

Social services wanted to make the order for him to be treated as an outpatient by Calderstones hospital in Whalley, but had been told it could not fund it, despite having the expertise.

But Calderstones management today said it had offered to provide support for the supervision order, even though he had not been referred to them directly.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, who constituency includes Calderstones, said: "This is appalling. What a mish-mash. Something must be done to look after him.

"He is a victim of this as he is in need of treatment he cannot get. If he is in prison he is in the wrong place and cannot get treatment.

"If he is not in prison and not receiving treatment, the public are at risk.

"Something must be done to sort this out, both in this case and generally. The Government must prioritise making more money available to provide treatment for this type of person who needs it."

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice said: "It is vital for someone with this kind of problem to receive the treatment he needs. I shall be taking this up with the relevant authorities to try and ensure that he does get treatment."

Burnley Crown Court had earlier heard how Calderstones had the expertise to treat Latif as an out patient, but not the cash. A community psychologist at Burnley General Hospital felt she was not qualified in the forensic aspect of Latif's case.

Latif, of Sackville Street, Brierfield, had previously been found unfit to plead by a jury but it was found he did the act complained of - an indecent assault on a young girl. His trial ended in April and he had been waiting seven months to get the help he needed.

The court was told by a social worker that funding was now available, the defendant could be assessed by the forensic team at Calderstones and then referred to the community psychologist - but if she still felt it was beyond her remit, it was back to square one.

The judge said: "The social services at all stages have been willing to assist and have done their very level best. But when it comes to providing the medical treatment for this man the system seems to be a complete failure."

Judge Bennett, who at the last hearing had contacted the Home Office Mental Health Unit looking for answers - and got the answerphone - had then got in touch with the Commission for Forensic Services.

He later got a call saying the head of psychological services at Calderstones had agreed to supervise Latif's treatment by the community psychologist, was told negotiations were on-going and he would be contacted with the decision by November 20.

The judge said he heard nothing, another call was later made and his clerk was contacted and told it was hoped the matter would be resolved by that morning - but nothing had happened.

Judge Bennett, who said he had no alternative but to put the case off "yet again" until January 14 for Latif to be assessed, said the victim and her mother were anxious about the delays.

He said he had received a letter of complaint from the mother saying her daughter found the whole thing distressing and would like an end to the case because Latif was living close to them while he was awaiting a conclusion for his case and the situation was "most unsatisfactory."

Calderstones deputy chief executive, Graham Jowett, said: "He has not been referred to us as an in-patient at all.

"Having been approached, we have agreed to offer supervision to a member of the community psychology team out in the community there to enable the supervision order to be effective."

Mr Jowett said the trust had only just been approached about supporting the psychologist, and was not aware of any delay.

Chief officer with Blackburn Community Health Council, Nigel Robinson, said Calderstones management had enlisted the CHC's help in trying to reduce its bed blocking problem, but said he wasn't aware of any problems over outpatient funding.

"There are issues at Calderstones concerning beds. They cannot get patients through for discharge back into the community because of a lack of appropriate accommodation. It is a concern. But I have not heard of any funding problems."

Judge Bennett added it would have been curteous if he had received something in writing from the Commission for Forensic Services, outlining what it had done and what it proposed.

Andy Gill, regional officer for Unison, said: "There have been some difficulties in the accessibility to and the quality of the services for people that require the kind of secure environment available at Calderstones, although this is only part of the service Calderstones provides.

"If a judge or any other official body says the best place for a person is in Calderstones, then there should be the facility for them to go there."