A grieving mother has criticised police for failing to treat her son's disappearance seriously enough.

Warren Ullyett's body was found last December washed up on a beach in Sangatte, near Calais, four weeks after he was reported missing from Herne Bay.

Devastated Rani Ullyett claims detectives overlooked the personal troubles he had experienced, including the recent deaths of his father and grandfather.

She said the 28-year-old had battled drug issues, had run-ins with the law and was diagnosed with PTSD after he was shot in Oxenden Square, Herne Bay, in 2008.

“I’m upset and immensely frustrated about it,” she told KentOnline following the inquest into his death last Thursday.

“I had the impression the whole time that the police felt Warren wasn’t a priority.

“They weren’t taking on board what I was saying about him and the circumstances he’d gone missing in.

"It seemed they’d judged him because he had a criminal record.

“I feel that he was failed and they didn’t bother.

“I thought he was at risk. The police didn’t seem to take it seriously that I was worried about Warren.”

DCI Kath Way says the case was initially treated as medium-risk but downgraded after a friend reported seeing Mr Ullyett on November 11 and said he was his "normal self".

She said: “The case was regularly reviewed by officers who carried out extensive enquiries, including address checks and enquiries with a number of Mr Ullyett’s friends and associates.

"Hospital checks were also completed and included the creation of a national NHS alert.”

Ms Ullyett says police were told the body discovered was her son’s on December 15 but she was not informed the identity had been confirmed until three days later.

The identification of his body was the responsibility of the French authorities.

An inquest last week heard how the circumstances of Mr Ullyett's death have left detectives on both sides of The Channel stumped.

Assistant coroner Katrina Hepburn said "I do not know why he died" as she delivered her open verdict.

Despite the conclusion, Ms Ullyett remains hopeful that she will at some point find out what happened to her son.

She said: "I know Warren wouldn't have committed suicide.

"I don't know if I'll ever find out what happened to Warren, but there are things that, hopefully, I will find out one day."