A GRIEF-STRICKEN widow took her own life eight weeks after the death of her beloved husband.

Betty Clarke, 86, had been married to Alan for 65 years. The pair had only spent a single week apart.

But after Alan’s death, Betty suffered a breakdown and told her family she wanted to take her life.

She was admitted to secure psychiatric hospital Mill View in Hove but was allowed to return to her home alone, where she killed herself.

Her son Andrew Clarke and daughter Denise Elliott are now asking why she was not saved.

Andrew said: “She was brushed aside as if her life was disposable because she was old.”

Betty, who lived in Oakdene Crescent, Portslade, for most of her life, started displaying out-of-character behaviour just before Alan’s funeral.

Andrew said: “My mother began to have some major episodes. Her head would turn to the left and her eyes would become glazed and stare upwards. I was very concerned

While staying at Denise’s home in Roderick Avenue, Peacehaven, Betty left the house saying she intended to jump from the cliffs. Denise took her to her GP and pleaded for help and Betty was admitted to Mill View Hospital.

But staff allowed her to return home and a few days later she was found dead there.

Andrew said: “We need to know why she was allowed to be released. Why wasn’t more done to care for her? Why wasn’t she saved?

“When she first went into Mill View I was satisfied that she was comfortable and safe. We found the fact that she was allowed knitting needles and scissors extremely concerning but staff said that individual assessments were carried out and items allowed if they deemed it suitable.”

Andrew said that following his mother’s death on March 19, two members of staff from Mill View had expressed concerns that she had been released but Sussex Partnership NHS Trust which runs the county’s mental health services has refused to apologise.

Denise described the grief her family has suffered as “just horrendous”. She said: “We just want them to say sorry she slipped through the net.

“Perhaps it’s because she was old, but it shouldn’t matter how old you are.”

Betty and Alan met in Germany at the end of the war then returned to Betty’s home in Portslade and married in 1952.

For 65 years they never parted , only spending a week apart when Alan’s health deteriorated.

“Dad never left her side,” said Denise.

“He adored her. And she took care of him for years. She knew he was dying and we were told when he only had two or three days left.

“She seemed to be coping, but then when he died she couldn’t. She refused to register his death, wouldn’t speak to the undertaker and said she wasn’t going to go to his funeral.”

The family said they have been told Sussex Partnership NHS Trust is conducting an internal investigation.

A trust spokeswoman said: “We cannot comment on individual cases. As a trust we are committed to providing high-quality patient care and the safety of people who use our services is our top priority.

“Where there is an incident involving someone known to our services, we participate fully in all reviews of that incident and always try to involve family members as much as possible to make sure that their concerns are heard and included as part of the investigation.

“Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is committed to learning from incidents and where investigations find that things should have been done differently, we will act on these findings.”

An inquest into Betty’s death will be heard in due course.