Family pay tribute to Whitby dad Pete Brown, whose body was found in Scarborough two years after going missing, as inquest concludes

Pete Brown, 46, from Whitby, was being treated for a depressive disorder at Cross Lane mental health hospital in Scarborough in May 2019. He was later reported missing when he did not return to a ward that permitted him to leave.

However, Mr Brown’s body was not found for a further 20 months – in January 2021 – after British Transport Police officers did not search an area of “thick undergrowth” near the railway line in the Seamer Road area of Scarborough.

Natalie Brown has paid tribute to her husband. She said: “Pete ran his own local painting and decorating business and was much-loved by me, his two children, parents Mike and Mary, sister Alex and nephew Costa.

“He loved to laugh with his family and was a talented martial arts competitor, holding a black belt in both Karate and Jiu-Jitsu.

“Our children remember Pete as being the best dad they could ever wish to have had. He was a wonderful person full of fun and laughter who would do anything for his family.

“He was much loved by us all and will be missed more than words can say. We want to remember Pete as a loving husband and dad and not the Pete who suffered so badly under the grips of depression.

“My hope is that the inquest into Pete’s death will fully explain the circumstances which led to it, including exploring whether there were failings in the mental healthcare that he received.”

His disappearance sparked widespread searches from hundreds of members of the public across the Yorkshire Coast.

The detailed findings from the inquest into the facts surrounding Mr Brown’s death can be read here.

Solicitors speaking on behalf of the family said although Mr Brown was an informal patient who had agreed to stay at Cross Lane Hospital – and was allowed to leave as he had not been detained under the Mental Health Act – they feel “he did not receive the treatment he needed”.

The family have raised their concerns about the extent of treatment and hope hospital practices and police search techniques are “improved”, following the inquest’s findings.

Rhiannon Davies, the family's solicitor, said: “Pete was clearly a vulnerable man who, due to his mental health issues, was at high risk to himself.

“His family spoke to hospital staff and voiced their concerns when his condition declined, but despite this, he was allowed to leave the ward, and tragically, lost his life.

“Pete’s family are deeply concerned that similar harm could come to other mental health patients if lessons are not learned.”