WEST Yorkshire Police detained more than 1,000 people under the Mental Health Act over a recent 12-month period, according to Home Office figures.

From March 2018 to March 2019, 1,263 people were detained under the 1983 Act, with that number including 88 children (those aged under 18).

The total figure was an increase of 5 per cent on the previous year, when 1,207 people were detained.

The Mental Health Act gives police the power to take people to a place of safety for up to 72 hours if they appear to be suffering from mental health problems, or if they are deemed to be a risk to themselves or to others.

The figures also suggest that West Yorkshire Police used police vehicles to transport mental health detainees 677 times in 2018-19.

Vicki Nash, Head of Policy and Campaigns at mental health charity Mind, said: "The numbers show a concerning national increase in the number of people, including children, being taken to hospital in a police vehicle. This is completely inappropriate for someone in a mental health crisis, who will need support and compassion, not to be treated like a criminal."

"It is deeply worrying to see that more and more people are being sectioned under the Mental Health Act every year. This is stark evidence that something is wrong with our mental health system. Without adequately funded services, people will continue to reach crisis point."

"It is worrying to see the extent to which the police are picking up the pieces of a mental healthcare system which is struggling to meet demand. The NHS and the Government need to prioritise mental health and deliver on the promises made in recent years."

A report published last year by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Services warned of an "intolerable burden" being placed on the police, who have sometimes been seen as having to pick up the pieces of a mental health system affected by under-funding.

John Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said, "It cannot be right that officers are again scooping up where other agencies are unable to provide – through no fault of their own – services that are so obviously needed.

"This vulnerable section of our community need to be afforded the proper care and attention that welfare services should be providing. They are patients not prisoners."

A spokesperson from West Yorkshire Police said, in reaction to the figures, that "The primary role of police officers is to keep people safe, and when people are in moments of crisis, police officers are almost always the first emergency services responders on scene."

"Persons are only detained under the Mental Health Act under strict criteria in which a person is in need of care and control, and, where practical, we have contacted colleagues in local mental health services and asked for their advice about the most suitable pathway for the patient."

"The overriding aim is to convey them to a place of safety where they can receive appropriate care and treatment."

"Mental health training is delivered to all operational officers in West Yorkshire and it is a priority to treat patients with dignity and respect. West Yorkshire Police works with local NHS mental health providers and has taken part in joint working initiatives."