£500k a year paid to high risk patients

SECURE Ashworth Hospital PATIENTS at a high-security psychiatric hospital are being paid thousands of pounds in benefits.

Offenders sent straight to secure facilities because they are unfit to stand trial are able to claim – regardless of their alleged crimes.

Nearly half of those at Ashworth Hospital, in Maghull, Merseyside, are claiming up to £100 per week in Employment Support Allowance.

More than £500,000-ayear is thought to be given to patients at the hospital.

Det Con Sam Keaton, who is based at Ashworth, said: “Some of them have savings of tens of thousands of pounds...’’

She is fighting to ensure patients with cash in the bank are fined or punished for attacks on hospital and nursing staff.