Leon Briggs: Jury shown CCTV of man 'being restrained by police'

Leon Briggs died in November 2013 after being detained under the Mental Health Act

A jury at the inquest of a man who died after being restrained by police has been shown CCTV footage of the hours before his death.

Leon Briggs, 39, died in November 2013 after being detained under the Mental Health Act at Luton police station.

The footage included Mr Briggs running in and out of shops in Marsh Road, Luton and him being put to the ground by Bedfordshire Police officers.

One witness described Mr Briggs as "kicking out as though swimming".

The footage shows him skipping down the road and shouting, and waving his arms in the air. On two occasions he steps into the road and briefly stops the traffic.

After leaving a newsagents, Mr Briggs is followed by two officers who are seen to force him to the ground.

The CCTV appears to show the officers holding him down on the pavement for a period of nearly 20 minutes.

They are assisted by a further two police officers, and later, two police community support officers, as two paramedics watch on.

At least four officers are then seen to carry Mr Briggs in the prone position and place him in the back of a police van.

Mr Briggs was described as "a really good dad" who loved spending time with his children

Giving evidence via a video call, Tony Sohal from Willow Way Stores, said Mr Briggs had been running around his shop shouting "Get off me" and swearing.

When outside, Mr Briggs was "lying face down, flat on the floor, facing a brick wall" said Mr Sohal.

He said "one officer was grabbing his arms", while the "other officer's torso was over his legs", and that "Leon was kicking out as though swimming".

"They put tape around him; a strap around his wrists, one around the back… and both legs were strapped together just below the knee," Mr Sohal said.

Father-of-two Mr Briggs was held by Bedfordshire Police under section 136 of the Mental Health Act, which gives police the power to take a person of concern from a public place to one of safety.

He was restrained and placed in a cell at the station at about 14:25. He became unconscious and was pronounced dead in hospital at about 16:15 on 4 November 2013.

The inquest heard Mr Briggs's primary cause of death was "amphetamine intoxication with prone restraint and prolonged struggling".

A secondary cause of death was given as coronary heart disease.

The inquest continues.

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