NURSES who worked with a mentally ill man raised concerns about his erratic behaviour more than a year before he stabbed a Southampton schoolboy while on the run from a Hampshire hospital.

In a letter to the Daily Echo one former staff member, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was shocked to read how Gary Grey had been considered for release back into the community prior to him escaping and attacking a 12-year-old boy.

Grey, 23, was this week given an indefinite high security hospital order and indefinite restriction order banning him from contact with the general public after admitting kidnapping, threats to kill and attempting to murder the child, who he stabbed at least three times in the stomach.

Southampton Crown Court also heard how Grey had been receiving treatment after stabbing his mother with a pickaxe and threatening to kill his family.

A nurse who looked after Grey said concerns had been raised about him 18 months ago.

"I was shocked to read that they had considered releasing him into a community placement.

"In fact he held the ward hostage once when I was on shift. It was commented by one social worker that he would be a candidate for one of the special hospitals like Broadmoor, Ashworth or Rampton."

The comments came in response to a statement made by bosses at Ravenswood House near Fareham, where Gary Grey was receiving treatment when he escaped while on unescorted leave.

It claimed a critical review of the procedures at the hospital proved they had a robust risk assessment procedure in place.

Today a spokesman for the West Hampshire NHS Trust, which oversees Ravenswood, stood by those remarks.

He said: "We admit that when Gary Grey first came to Ravenswood he was very difficult and hard to manage. However, as he was allowed on escorted leave and then unescorted leave it appeared he was making very good progress. The leave time seemed to make a big difference to his behaviour.

"The decisions about Gary were made in consultation with the Home Office to whom we had to prove we were satisfied with his progress."

After being described as presenting a "very grave and ongoing risk to the public" by Judge David Griffiths, it is unlikely that Grey will ever be let back into the community again.