DOCUMENTS surrounding the deaths of four patients at a North-East psychiatric unit are being re-examined by police after 26 years.

The patients at Darlington Memorial Hospital died within 27 days of each other in the summer of 1975, leading to the Northern Regional Health Authority appointing an independent Committee of Inquiry to investigate.

A relative of 79-year-old Jonathan Longstaff, who died in a fire in his hospital bed, discovered the committee's report, published in 1976, during research for her family history.

The other three patients were Rosemary Gibbon, 21, who took an overdose with tablets snatched from a drugs trolley, Patricia Lupton, 22, who drowned in a hospital bath, and George Charters, 21, who took a hospital van and gassed himself with exhaust fumes.

The committee, chaired by barrister Harold Day, interviewed 56 witnesses and made recommendations on the running of the hospital and provision of care.

Calls followed for Dr Eric Burkitt, chairman of the hospital's psychiatric division, to resign after the report accused him of ignoring recommendations made by the Government's hospital advisory service 18 months earlier.

A Durham Police spokesman said last night their involvement ended after a coroner recorded two open verdicts, and one each of suicide and accidental death, at the patients' inquests.

Mr Longstaff's relative passed on the documents to police, believing there were inaccuracies in the initial report.

Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson said: "Durham Constabulary was contacted earlier this month by a relative of one of the deceased drawing our attention to a report of the Committee of Inquiry into these deaths at the hospital, which had recently come into her possession.

"At present, we are still studying the report and have not reached any decision as to what the next course of action may be.

"I should stress at this stage it would be rash to jump to any conclusions, simply because we have been asked to look again at this document, which was in the public domain 25 years ago.

"None of the four deaths looked at by the Committee of Inquiry was treated as suspicious and all were subject to coroners' inquests. However, because of the concern expressed by the relative we have a duty to look very thoroughly at this matter."