In the last year more than 400 patients went missing while in the care of mental health services in Kent.

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) filed 465 missing persons reports after vulnerable individuals absconded from facilities across the county.

The figures were revealed following a Kent Messenger freedom of information request.

The trust was unable to give figures for individual hospitals due to data protection concerns and could not say whether they were secure or open centres.

The highest figure was in Canterbury, where the trust filed 207 missing persons reports.

KMPT runs a rehabilitation unit and St Martin’s Hospital in the city.

In Maidstone, there were 91 incidents, the third highest in the county, with the trust providing inpatient care at five sites in the town.

These are: Hermitage Lane’s Priority House and the Trevor Gibbens Unit, the rehabilitation centre at 111 Tonbridge Road, the eating disorder service in Oakapple Lane and a detoxification centre in Upper Fant Road.

In 2013 KMPT were given the go ahead to heighten a perimeter fence at Priority House to stop patients from escaping.

In Dartford there were 121 reports made, while 27 were registered in Thanet, 14 in Medway, four in Swale and one in Dover and Deal.

Last week we revealed how in the same period KMPT was told to make urgent changes following three deaths.

While last year we revealed KMPT had £8million slashed from its budget in four years.

A KMPT spokesman said: “Patient safety is our absolute priority. Those who are admitted to our inpatient units to receive treatment for severe mental health disorders use time off the ward as an important part of their rehabilitation which is closely monitored as part of the patient’s care plan. There are many reasons patients may overstay their leave including transport problems. Most will let us know, but some patients may get distracted and will return late.

“Most of our wards are informal inpatient units and unless a patient is detained under the Mental Health Act they can choose to leave.”