A mental health patient detained four months after a tribunal ruled he should be freed has been released thanks to a regional daily.

Last week Eastern Daily Press health reporter Tom Bristow documented the case of Oliver Lang, who was still under detention in spite of the ruling.

Following the Norwich-based title’s article, published as part of its ‘Fighting for the Vulnerable’ campaign, Oliver’s lawyer and father Richard have been told he will be freed from the NHS mental unit in Norfolk where he was being held.

Richard praised the campaign, which aims to expose failings in the mental health system.

He said: “His brother and sister and all of us are over the moon.

“It is amazing how nothing happened between the tribunal in August and Thursday and then suddenly it took them a day to get things sorted.

“(The NHS) don’t like the bad press.”

The news formed the basis for yesterday’s splash for the Archant-owned title, pictured above.

Archant Norfolk editor-in-chief Nigel Pickover said: “The EDP launched its Fighting for the Vulnerable campaign in 2013 after we became aware of an increasing number of people in our communities of all ages who were on the edge of society and falling through the net of social care.

“They include mental health patients and the elderly living in isolation in our towns and villages.

“The EDP has highlighted flaws in the care system and challenged authorities at all levels up to the government.

“Our victory in the desperate case of Oliver Lang is the latest example of how the treatment of people has improved after our intervention.”