The family of a homeless man found dead in a car park have accused the mental health services of letting him down.

Drug addict Scott York, 32, was discovered at the NCP car park in High Street, Kemp Town, Brighton, at 8.30am on Tuesday morning.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and police believe he had taken an overdose.

Relatives said father-of-two Mr York had been in and out of prison for years and had struggled with alcohol and drug addictions. He had spent long periods of time homeless in Brighton.

He was released from a mental hospital in London just days before his death and his family said he was not ready to look after himself.

His sister Selina York, 31, fromWorthing, said: "Society let him down. He had a brave heart but he needed help and it wasn't given to him. I think he's better off where he is now."

She said he should not have been discharged before living arrangements had been made for him.

Mr York was originally from Epsom in Surrey, where his daughters Holly, 14, and Chloe, ten, live with their mother Catherine Field.

He had three younger brothers - Daniel, 16, Michael, 15, and Shane, 12, who live with his mother Gloria in Worthing.

Mrs Field said yesterday: "He was a funny guy, full of character and we will all miss him.

"He wasn't well, he needed help and he knew it, he told me so. He shouldn't have been let out of hospital."

Mr York spent the weekend before his death staying with his sister and he saw his daughters. On Monday he and his sister had searched unsuccessfully for accommodation for him in Brighton.

Miss York said: "He just didn't have the means."

Mr York had been in prison and then mental hospitals since January. He had stayed in the Millview Hospital, Brighton, and the Cygnet Clinic in Beckton, London, in his final months.

He was discharged from the Cygnet last Friday when a court ruled he no longer needed to be detained under the Mental Health Act.

A spokeswoman for the clinic said it had a policy of not disclosing information regarding any patients and declined to comment.

NCP staff patrolling the company's Brighton car parks first found Mr York unconscious at 6.20am on Tuesday and called an ambulance. Paramedics were able to resuscitate him but he refused to be taken to hospital or receive further treatment. He made his way away from the car park.

When car park staff returned at 8.30am they discovered Mr York unconscious again. This time paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

A South East Coast ambulance service spokeswoman said: "The paramedics did all they could. If someone is in control of their faculties and refuses treatment, we cannot legally force them to be treated or go to hospital."

The car park is not manned overnight but checked by regular patrols.

A coroner is investigating the circumstances of Mr York's death. Anyone with information should call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999.