This is the Guardian.

Today, why are the police stepping back from mental health calls?

Before we start, I want to let you know that in this episode we mentioned self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

So please take care while you're listening.

Angela is the mum of a woman we're calling Louise.

Louise is 19 and for the past few years she's been having a really distressing time with her mental health.

In June last year, as she had many times before, she ran away from home.

And was hearing voices threatening to harm herself, kill herself.

Angela called the police who went out to find Louise and they took her to hospital.

Louise wasn't taken to a psychiatric unit but to A&E.

The first night she was sitting on a chair and the police were standing next to her one on either side so you just feel like you're a criminal.

She had just spent the whole night there.

And did you have conversations with the police officers that were watching her at that point?

Absolutely, you know, they said this is a busy area that we police.

We know we should be out there on the streets and answering calls, helping other people because the doctors in the hospital surrounded by medical professionals

and nobody's taken responsibility for her.

Couldn't make it up, could you really?

The police waited with her for 12 hours and then A&E staff and security guards took over.

In total Louise spent more than 8 days in A&E.

She escaped from security twice during that time before a bed was eventually found for her in a psychiatric hospital.

That was just soul destroying.

She needs help and she's not getting it through no thought of the people that are there.

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