Family and friends of a man who died when he was hit by a train in Eccles have criticised mental health authorities in Salford.
Craig Creedon, 31, was killed at around 10pm on Saturday 5 December at Eccles railway station on Church Street.
On Tuesday evening around 30 friends and family laid flowers and candles at the station in his memory.
“He was 120% the life and soul of the party,” said pal Michelle Williams.
“Any time you were down he’d soon get you laughing. I just can’t believe he’s gone. He was one of a kind and he’ll be greatly missed.”
Pal Jason Lang, 40, told of how Craig loved to go to the Flex ‘n’ Tone gym on Cobden Street in Salford four or five times a week.
“I’d known him for about three years. He was a good lad, he’d do anyone a favour and he’d go out of his way to talk to you. He had a big heart and a good sense of humour.”
Older brother Mark, 40, said: “‘Crazy Creedon’, that’s what everyone called him, that’s how bubbly his personality was. He was up for everything, he just wanted to experience everything life had to offer.”
But family told SalfordOnline.com of their anger that they were not told on the night of his death that he had been released from the care of mental health authorities.
Gym fanatic Craig had struggled with depression in the past.
Earlier on Saturday morning he had threatened to jump from the 16-storey roof of a block of flats in Broughton.
He was talked down by specially-trained police officers, detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act and placed in the care of the Meadowbrook mental health unit.
Under the Act, police can move people between places of safety, like a hospital or police station, for up to 72 hours.
Craig had been assessed by mental health nurses and the decision was made that he did not warrant being sectioned.
It’s thought just 30 minutes before his death Craig had been released from Meadowbrook’s Section 136 Unit on Stott Lane in Salford.
But brother Mark said that family had not been told.
“We hadn’t been told he’d been let out, so he had no money on him and nothing in his system, and he’d walked from there straight to the train station.
“They should never have released him from Meadowbrook.”
A statement read to SalfordOnline.com from Craig’s partner Katie Burke said: “We would like people to know how the system failed our beautiful angel.
“I told police not to let him out and they left our boy in the hands of Meadowbrook.
“Meadowbrook was not helpful to me and Craig’s mum and never returned our phone calls and the next thing we knew they let him out without phoning me or his mum.
“Within the hour he had gone. Our beautiful fun-loving boy who was the life and soul of any party.
“He will be missed by so many people but most of all by his mum Kath, his two brothers Mark and Stuart, his nephew baby Thomas, his niece Samantha, his mum’s partner and everyone at Flex n Tone gym and most of all me.
“He was my soulmate and the love of my life.
“If it was not for Meadowbrook letting him out on his own in the frame of mind he was in, and for no-one to listen or call us back, he would still be here today.
“The system has failed and especially failed Craig. This nightmare should never have happened.
“We will take it as far as we possibly can and do everything in our power to stop this pain and heartache being inflicted on to anyone else.”
Greater Manchester West NHS Trust, which runs Meadowbrook, told SalfordOnline.com it had launched an investigation.
Gill Green, Director of Nursing and Operations for Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “We offer our deepest condolences to Mr Creedon’s family following the tragic event last weekend.
“As a responsible organisation, we will carry out an investigation into the events leading up to Mr Creedon’s death and we will contact his family and ask them to be a part of this, if they so wish.
“At the very least we will offer them as much support as possible when we are able to report the findings of the investigation.
“However, we recognise this will offer little comfort at this sad time and once again we offer our sincere sympathy.”
Images by Creedon family/Albert@itookyourpic.com
