NEGLECT contributed to a Bolton man’s death in Spanish custody, with a jury ruling that the failure to implement the safety recommendations of a report was a ‘significant factor’.

The jury at the inquest in to the death of Antony Abbott, from Halliwell, found that his death was as a result of misadventure and had a medical cause of hanging.

Senior coroner Jennifer Leeming, pledged to contact the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, to try and improve safety conditions in custody in Spain and the rest of Europe.

Mr Abbott, 36, a father of two, died in the custody of Benidorm police station on October 23, 2015.

He had been arrested following a row with his partner Catherine in their room at the Hotel Palm Beach in the Spanish resort.

The inquest heard of a report, produced just months earlier, that had made a number of recommendations in to improving safety at the custody suite where he died.

The report suggested an extra CCTV camera be put in place at the end of the corridor where Mr Abbott’s cell was located and also that bars on cell doors be replaced.

It recommended that at the very least manned surveillance should be in place in the cell area.

The jury found that there was ‘no evidence’ that any of these recommendations had been implemented.

The hearing had also previously heard how on the night leading up to his death,

Mr Abbott had been drinking but also making plans for the future and to get married.

There was evidence to support that he was planning for life in the future and that during the course of the previous evening there was evidence that there was nothing in his demeanour to suggest that he was not looking forward to the future.

The jury also found that Mr Abbott was unobserved for an 18 minute period after being placed in his cell and there was no audible means of attracting attention within the cells.

Ms Leeming will now prepare a report to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Secretary to help prevent future deaths.

However this could be rejected if it is deemed that the FCO has no power to make changes to improve conditions in custody cells like the ones in Benidorm.

She told the inquest that if this fails she will personally write to Mr Johnson to get him to use his influence to improve safety conditions.

She will also send a copy of the report which had recommended safety improvements prior to Mr Abbott’s death, and will raise concerns about the lack of training in CPR at the Spanish prison.

The inquest had heard how Mr Abbott had been enjoying the holiday with his family.

Keina Yoshida, counsel, speaking on behalf of the family said that if something was to come from Mr Abbott’s death it was potentially to save other lives.

Addressing Mr Abbott’s family, Ms Leeming, said: “I’m very sorry that this has happened.”