THE family of a mentally ill man who hanged himself have slammed the psychiatric services in East Lancashire.

The sister of lift engineer Neil McDaid, 36, found suspended from a tie and coat hanger at his Leaver Street, Burnley, home on June 30, told an inquest: "We definitely feel the services let him down."

Rosemary Hind, a district nursing sister, said representations had been made to the area's community health council before the tragedy and added the last time her brother had been in Burnley General Hospital -- after being "sectioned" -- he had got out and his relatives had had to go looking for him.

Mrs Hind described her brother as a "danger to himself and everybody else" when he was having a manic episode.

She said: "It was frightening. If you didn't know him you would have thought he was on drink or drugs, but we couldn't get it across to the powers that be. They just didn't take it on board."

East Lancashire Coroner David Smith recorded an open verdict at an inquest at Burnley Magistrates Court .

He said Mr McDaid's actions may have been a cry for help, but his family believe Mr McDaid knew exactly what he was doing and had planned it with military precision. Mr Smith said there was not sufficient evidence to say Mr McDaid intended to end his life.

Mr McDaid's father Hugh, of Rossendale Road, Burnley, said his son had worked in Hong Kong for a long time and returned to this country in August 1997. He was immediately admitted to the psychiatric unit at Burnley on his return and again, last August, when he spent several weeks there.

Mr McDaid said his son was a quiet and very private person. On Wednesday June 27, they had a meal together. He later rang his son several times but got no answer. He and Mrs Hind found him at his home on the Saturday, the day he was due to go to the Midlands to work. Mrs Hind, who lives in Fence, said her brother was "very very poorly" when the family brought him back to England four years ago. He was "very up and down" but managed to "hold it together" until last August. She said Mr McDaid did not believe in taking medication of any sort and managed to keep on working.

Last August, he started to get quite high, but after being discharged from hospital on a Friday, he was back working on the following Monday. Mrs Hind said her brother, an intelligent man, did not admit he had a problem until two weeks before he died, could not accept he was ill and a diagnosis of his condition was only made six weeks before his death. He was due to see a psychiatric nurse on June 29 but said he was feeling a bit better. Mrs Hind said Mr McDaid had never threatened to take his life.

She told the hearing the family found a tin of his belongings at his home and also a note, which they believed he had written the week before his death.

Mrs Hind added: "We think he was starting to get manic again. He knew exactly what was going on which is why we think he did what he did."

Pathologist Dr Walid Salman said Mr McDaid died from hanging. There were no marks of violence on his body, no drugs in his body and just traces of alcohol.