Two police Sergeants have been disciplined after failing to take proper care of a prisoner detained in the custody suite at Antrim Police Station.

One of the sergeants was also disciplined for making inappropriate comments about the detained person whilst monitoring her on CCTV.

The officers were on duty on 27 April 2005 when the woman was brought in for processing, having been arrested for creating a disturbance. As she was being detained at the custody office, the woman told them she was going to hang herself.

The Police Ombudsman found that, in the light of the woman's threat of self-harm, the officers failed to do all they reasonably could to monitor her and ensure her safety.

One officer failed to remove a drawcord from the waist of the woman's jogging bottoms, which she then used to try to strangle herself.

The Police Ombudsman also established that the officers did not immediately switch on closed circuit television to monitor the detained person when she was placed into a cell, despite her threat of suicide.

Mr Al Hutchinson said: "Actions to reduce the risk, such as removal of laces, loose items and increased monitoring of a person with identified potential for self harm, were necessary in this case."