Croydon: Sutton Police have spoken out this week to reassure the public they are not at risk from the Croydon samurai sword attacker who has been rehoused in the borough.

This follows yesterday's revelations in the Comet's sister paper the Sutton Guardian that a Government blunder led to the paranoid schizophrenic now described as low-risk' being secretly moved to Sutton without any warning given to social services or police.

The news has been met with outrage by residents, Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow and victims of the attack.

Eden Strang, 29, was discharged in March from a 21-month stay in hospital after he rampaged naked through a church in Thornton Heath, injuring 11 worshippers.

He was found not guilty due to insanity of 13 charges, including seven attempted murders. At his trial in the Old Bailey, a leading psychiatrist said: "In my experience you can't get much madder than he was."

In June 2000, Recorder of London Judge Michael Hyam described the scenes as "horrifying" and ordered Mr Strang be locked up "indefinitely".

For more than three months he has been housed in an NHS hostel in the borough as part of continuing treatment. But an administrative error meant Mr Strang should have been treated under the direction of the Home Secretary and not as an ordinary civil patient. If he had been, the local authorities would have been warned of his arrival in the borough.

And the Home Office has confirmed the mistake meant he could have walked out at any time from hospital because it was voluntary although it stresses there were measures in place to detain him had he not been responding to treatment.

Now Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow has slammed the Government's failure to inform victims and police of Mr Strang's arrival into the community.

Mr Strang's whereabouts only became public after he was spotted shopping in Wallington last week.

But Sutton Chief Superintendent Steve MacDonald told the Comet: "The multi-agency public protection panel has considered all the issues and we think the risk to the public is very low.

"A number of measures have been put into place to ensure the safety of the public and others involved. I'm happy that what could have been done, has been done.

"We would be able to respond to any danger quickly and robustly and if there were any threats to the public we would be able to identify them early."

Victim Jules Parcou, 76, of Thornton Heath, who suffered deep wounds to his shoulder and neck said: "How can it be that after just 21 months he is out? It was a very big shock for me when I was told by the priest."

And a Carshalton mother-of-two, who asked not to be named, told the Comet: "I'm very concerned he might do it again and would like to know where these hostels are so that I can make sure my children avoid them."

Mr Burstow said: "I have written to the Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn requesting a meeting to explain my concern about the way he was released.

"None of the victims were told of his release and I think putting him just seven miles away is particularly crass. On top of that it appears there have been no conditions attached to Mr Strang's release."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Because of an administrative error he was treated as a civil patient when he should have been detained under the direction of the Home Secretary.

"There was still no question of his release as he was assessed by a multi-disciplinary team. The overall outcome would have been the same despite the error.

"Whether he had been released as a civil or criminal patient, victims currently do not have the right to know. We find this totally unacceptable and last week introduced a provision under a new mental health bill that victims of serious, violent or sexual crimes should be informed."

Following a meeting between the police and partner agencies on July 1, a Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The group is satisfied Eden Strang has and is responding positively to medication.

"The agencies concerned have asked that he be allowed to continue with his treatment and that his privacy and that of his victims and the families involved is acknowledged."

A spokesman for South West London and St George's Mental Health and NHS trust stressed Mr Strang was released following a full assessment, adding: "He is of no danger to himself or the public."

July 8, 2002 16:30