A new law which restricts the use of force against mental health patients has been passed in the name of a Croydon man.

Olaseni 'Seni' Lewis died in 2010 aged 23, days after he fell unconscious while being restrained by 11 Metropolitan Police officers at Bethlem Royal Hospital, where he was a mental health patient.

Under 'Seni's Law' hospitals will be required to publish data on how and when physical force is used on mental health patients.

The bill also ensures that any non-natural death in a mental health unit triggers an independent inquiry.

Mr Lewis' family have campaigned consistently for the law change since his death alongside, Steve Reed, MP for North Croydon, who played a major role in pushing the legislation through parliament.

Mental Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said: "What stuck with me above all else from his heart-breaking story was how the family of Seni – as he was known to his loved ones – had turned to medical support believing they were doing the best thing for their son in the midst of a mental health crisis and that hospital would be the best place for him.

"Tragically, without digging up painful memories, a series of failures meant Seni was not treated with the compassion and respect he so truly deserved and lost his life at the hands of those whose care he was entrusted in.

"Physical restraint should only be used as a last resort and our guidance to the NHS is clear on this – anything less is unacceptable.

"Treating and caring for people in a safe, compassionate environment is a top priority for this Government and I’m determined that no one should slip through the net.

"I applaud the efforts of Steve Reed MP for Croydon North, Seni’s family’s local MP, who has so tirelessly and commendably spearheaded this reform.

I also welcome the support charities, those with lived experience of mental ill-health and the public have given for the Bill – an important driving force in making this law a reality.

"I hope Seni’s Law, while bringing some comfort to his family – in particular his parents Aij and Conrad Lewis who have relentlessly campaigned for justice and fought to ensure that other families do not suffer in the way they did – will see an end to a culture where restrictive interventions and force are used far too often and ultimately fulfil our ambition of improving the lives of vulnerable individuals and their families."

In May 2017 an inquest at Croydon Coroner's Court found that 'unnecessary and unreasonable' excessive force 'on the balance of probability' contributed to Mr Lewis' death.