OXFORD Health Trust has apologised for its handling of the transfer between hospitals of a mentally ill man who was later found dead.

Conal Browning, 25, formerly of Oxford, was found hanged after going missing from Antelope House mental health unit in Southampton.

He had been transferred from Warneford Hospital in Oxford.

However, it later emerged his parents were not properly involved in that decision.

His body was found by a police officer near a quiet road in Bexhill, East Sussex, on August 28, 2010.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust apologised to Mr Browning’s family and said it was very sorry to hear of the death.

It issued a statement which read: “We have acknowledged that we should have involved Mr Browning’s family more in the decision to transfer him to inpatient services at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and we have apologised to the family about this.”

On Tuesday Southampton Coroner Keith Wiseman recorded an open verdict with a narrative into the death of Mr Browning.