Friends of a York woman who died after falling from a window have lashed out at the mental health support system, claiming it "threw her to the wolves".

Effie Arestides, 55, of Clifton, said her friend Lara Saunders was "badly let down" by community health services who failed to heed her cries for help.

She said Ms Saunders was suffering depression and loneliness after the death of her long-term partner, and had begun drinking heavily in the weeks before her death.

Ms Arestides said her friend had received treatment for two weeks at Bootham Park Hospital in March, but doctors had then discharged her against her wishes.

She said: "I am absolutely disgusted with Bootham Hospital. She was discharged, literally thrown to the wolves, and this happens not just with Lara but with other people as well."

Ms Saunders, 35, an animal rights activist and former student, was found dead two weeks ago, after apparently falling from a fourth-storey window at a house where she was staying temporarily.

Despite having a council-owned flat in Lindsey Avenue, York, the former student had been staying with squatters at the White Swan Hotel in Piccadilly.

Ms Arestides said she had offered her friend temporary accommodation but had found it impossible to cope with her specific needs which, she said, required professional attention.

She said: "Lara was discharged from hospital before she had anywhere else to go. She was haunted by the memories at her flat and needed close human support."

Other friends have also contacted the Evening Press to express their unhappiness with the support and treatment offered to Ms Saunders.

Ken Curran, of Burdyke Avenue, Clifton, who knew Ms Saunders for a number of years, said she needed close support.

He said: "It seems to me to be outrageous that Bootham Park Hospital did not pick up on the sad reality of her situation."

Ruby Robinson, 35, said her friend was driven to the squat on being refused re-admission to Bootham Park Hospital as she looked for comfort after the death of her partner.

A spokesman for Selby and York NHS Trust said that the Trust would not discuss its service in relation to any individual.

He said: "Our community teams work on a multi-agency level to provide support to people suffering from a variety of mental health problems."

Chris Gajewicz, head of social care at City of York Council, said that in the majority of cases carers work with "multi-disciplinary teams" to asses the level of care that is required.

She said nurses, psychiatrists and social workers would meet to decide on the best package of care for an individual before their release.

"The care packages can vary enormously depending on the individual circumstances and may, or may not, involve the council's social services staff," she added.

Updated: 08:50 Tuesday, June 03, 2003