THE name of a woman found dead in the river Wye in Hereford has been released after an inquest.

Caroline Anne Staite, who was 51 at the time of her death, was recovered from the river Wye near the Canary Bridge in Hereford in the early hours of the morning on March 9 this year, Herefordshire coroner Mark Bricknell said in a prevention of future deaths report issued following the inquest.

Emergency services were called by a member of the public who was on his way home from work at 11.39pm on March 8.

The caller said he had seen a body with a backpack, dark clothes, and white trainers in the river. 

He said the river was flowing fast and the body had disappeared into the darkness as it headed towards the city's Victoria Bridge.

Officers were sent to speak to the caller, while additional officers were sent to scour the river Wye.

Ms Staite's fully clothed body, which had no obvious injuries, was recovered from the river and she was pronounced dead at 2.41am the following morning.

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She was identified after her brother contacted the police to say his sister had not been seen for 24 hours. Her description matched that of the body found in the river and later formal identification provided confirmation, Mr Bricknell said.

An inquest was opened into the death on March 18, and at a hearing on September 30, a conclusion of suicide was reached.

But, the coroner said, the inquest evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern, with a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.

Issuing a prevention of future deaths report, Mr Bricknell said his concerns are that the neighbourhood mental health team should ensure their procedures are sufficiently robust regarding the sifting of clients for consideration by Mind.

He also said the procedure for returning patients from Mind to the neighbourhood mental health team should be transparent and encouraged if the Mind worker feels it appropriate, and that the patient should be returned to the neighbourhood mental health team if so requested by the Mind worker.

The report has been sent to the chief executive of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, who must respond within 56 days.

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