A PATIENT went on the run from Calderstones medium secure unit and got drunk in a pub 35 miles away before giving himself up to police, it was revealed today.

The man turned himself in to police in Halifax "in a vulnerable state" almost six hours after getting a taxi out of Whalley, using money given to him by a relative.

Today Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans called for a review of supervision at the site and a clampdown on unsuitable "presents" after the incident -- the fourth time a patient has absconded from the medium secure unit in just over a year.

Calderstones chief executive Russ Pearce said the man had been sent to the hospital by the courts but was not guilty of violent or sexual offences. He couldn't say why the man had appeared in court because of patient confidentiality. He said the man was not a danger to the public and was only in the medium secure unit waiting for a bed in a lower security part of the hospital. He said the man had been given some money on Saturday afternoon by his family, who had not told staff.

When allowed out of his flat to walk to the hospital's club with another client, he slipped out of the grounds.

Mr Pearce said staff realised he had gone within a few minutes. They searched the grounds at 6.15pm then called police.

In January, the Trust revealed there had been three cases of unauthorised absence from the medium secure unit in the previous 12 months. In the three previous cases, patients were returned to the unit within two hours.

Six months ago the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that paedophiles, arsonists and killers were housed in the Calderstones medium secure unit. The move followed concern about the type of patients housed in the medium secure unit and fears over security.

And last month Tory MP Nigel Evans vowed to raise security fears at Westminster after a second patient in six months was placed under a restriction order for assault at the unit. At the time, Mr Pearce said the Trust would do all it could to ensure patients were not a danger to the public. Inspector Graham Ashcroft, of Blackburn police, said police searched the area following the latest incident and then made enquiries with the man's family in Fleetwood.

He said: "As far as we were aware there was no particular danger to the public."

A spokesman for the West Yorkshire police said the patient phoned them from a phone box in Ovenden, Halifax, at 11.40pm.

The man was picked up by police at midnight.

Mr Pearce admitted the man had got drunk and said: "He is now going to be here for longer. He has not done himself any favours."

Mr Pearce said staff planned to remind the man's family of their obligations when visiting patients.

He said the hospital warned all visitors about visiting rules and was vigilant. Mr Pearce said there were no immediate plans to do search visitors, as there were strict rules about it.

Mr Pearce said a dangerous offender could not have escaped in the same way because they would not have been allowed to walk unsupervised through the grounds. Mr Pearce has previously said security levels were adequate.

But Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said he planned to take the matter up with Trust chairman Christine Kirk.

He said: "Whilst we are given assurances that he is not a danger to the public, the fact that he can so readily abscond is not good news.

"I don't think this can be justified by saying he was going to be moved to a lower security unit. Surely the fact that he absconded shows that perhaps that was not the right decision?"

Nigel Robinson, chief officer of patient watchdog body Community Health Council, said he was satisifed that it was appropriate for the patient to have been given free time within the grounds.

He said: "People may think they are being kind in bringing presents, but they are not. People should be reminded or this sort of thing is going to happen again and again."

Coun Arthur Pearson, who represents the Whalley ward for Ribble Valley Council, said: "We are not normally informed of incidents like these by Calderstones. I would prefer to be informed so I could answer constituents' questions. All institutions like that should be monitoring their patients more closely."

Nigel Robinson, chief officer of patient watchdog body Community Health Council, said he was satisifed that it was appropriate for the patient to have been given free time within the grounds.