HIA inquiry hears claims that children were put in strait jackets at Lissue Hospital

The HIA has been holding hearings in Banbridge Courthouse

An inquiry has heard claims that chronically disabled children at a state-run hospital were put into strait jackets.

The allegations were made at the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry sitting in Banbridge on Monday.

However, staff who worked at Lissue Hospital in Lisburn have denied that such means of restraint were used.

The HIA is examining claims that children in psychiatric care were sexually and physically abused.

It heard that a psychiatric in-patient unit for children opened in 1971 at the County Antrim hospital.

The inquiry was told that some of the children being cared for were chronically disabled. Allegations of abuse have been made against some staff members and some other child residents.

To date, no-one who worked at Lissue, has been prosecuted.

The HIA inquiry is investigating abuse in religious and state-run institutions dating from 1922 to 1995.

HIA chairman, the retired senior High Court judge Sir Anthony Hart, is due to submit his report to the Northern Ireland Executive by 17 January 2017.