An investigation was launched today after a man got into a hospital children's ward and touched patients.
Despite security procedures, he was allowed into the unit at Colchester General Hospital and put his hand on the heads of several children.
It is thought he believed he was a healer and was trying to cure the patients.
The alarm was raised at about 11am yesterday after he was allowed in through security doors and started to wander around the unit.
Police were called and the former psychiatric patient was stopped near the hospital and taken to the Lakes unit for treatment.
The children's ward is a secure unit and visitors are only supposed to be able to get in by pressing a buzzer then identifying themselves to hospital staff.
A hospital spokesman said today early indications were that a cleaner unlocked the door for the man then he barged into the ward.
He said: "We are taking this extremely seriously."
Published Monday January 5, 2004
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