Group fights mental health units

Tecwyn Hughes said nearly 800 people have signed the petition against the units

Almost 800 people have signed a petition against plans to house six people with mental health problems on Anglesey.

Opponents say they fear "dangerous" patients will be housed there and a group has been set up to fight the plan for six special units in a residential area of Llangefni.

Their fears have been increased by the recent killing on a north Wales seafront of a pensioner out walking his dogs in a random attack by a schizophrenic.

But Anglesey Council says that any patients transferred there will not be registered as "dangerous", will be used to living within the community and will be under constant supervised care.

The Cildwrn Council Objection Group say they are alarmed the proposed project, on the site of a disused council yard and former sanatorium, will be near to three schools.

Group member Tecwyn Hughes said residents' fears had been increased by the killing in Prestatyn in March of Brian Dodd by schizophrenic Paul Khan.

We are afraid that dangerous patients will come here from all over Britain Protestor Susan Hughes

Khan - a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic from Cardiff - was jailed for life last month and the judge questioned whether he should ever be released because of the danger he posed.

Mr Hughes said the group believed lessons should be learned from the Khan case.

"We don't want the same thing to happen to children here and it's no good learning the lesson after the event has happened."

He said the group wanted the six units built on the edge of Llangefni instead.

Fellow protester Susan Hughes said: "We are afraid that dangerous patients will come here from all over Britain."

I have been disturbed by some of the things I have heard from them - I am shocked they can be so cruel Councillor John Chorlton

However, Councillor John Chorlton, social inclusion portfolio holder for Anglesey council said the patients who would come to Cildwrn would "not be registered dangerous to the community."

"People have heard and seen things in the media and jumped to conclusions.

"I have been disturbed by some of the things I have heard from them - I am shocked they can be so cruel.

"A person can experience mental health problems at any point in life."

"These people will have 24 hour care, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year."

Protesters are planning to demonstrate when the council holds a site meeting at Cildwrn later this month.

The authority wants to build six bungalows for the elderly next to the units for mental health patients.