The number of people detained in secure psychiatric wards in England has reached a record high, figures show.
More than 3,500 were being detained in secure hospitals in July 2007, experts at the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health said.

They said the figures raised important questions about whether people were being detained appropriately.

The government said the figures reflected their policy to make sure people were treated in the best place.

The report on Forensic Mental Health Services - which provides care for people who have come into contact with the criminal justice system before being transferred to the NHS - found a large increase in people in high- and medium-secure units over the past decade.

High-security units are for people who pose a serious danger to the public.

Between 1996 and 2007, the population of high- and medium-secure units rose by 45%.

A more in-depth look at the figures showed the growth occurred overwhelmingly in medium-secure units.

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SOURCE: BBC News Online