Police opted to take a man who they thought was severely unwell to hospital themselves after fearing lengthy delays for an ambulance, a court has heard.

An inquest is taking place into the death of David Molloy, who died in September 2017 after he had been arrested by officers.

Police were called to reports he had been causing damage at the property of someone he knew on Elgin Street, Halliwell.

Bolton Coroners' Court heard previously the caller to the police said he had “choked him out” three times.

And the inquest was told Mr Molloy was taken into a police vehicle and was on the way to hospital when he collapsed and CPR was performed.

From there paramedics took the 48-year-old to hospital where he died the following day.

As the death is classed as being one which took place in state detention, a jury is to determine what happened surrounding the death of the man from Swinton.

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Police Constable Robert Ashcroft, who was among those who attended the incident, gave evidence.

Footage was played which showed him and a colleague arriving, putting handcuffs on Mr Molloy - who they believed to be intoxicated - and putting him in the back of a police vehicle.

He was asked why an ambulance had not been called to transport him to hospital.

He said: “I heard the ambulance service was busy.

“There was a two hour wait for another incident.

“They would have asked us if the patient was breathing and not losing excessive blood.

“The ambulance would not have made it a category one and so we could not get it.

“We did not phone an ambulance.”

He said during the trip to hospital while on the A666 he noticed Mr Molloy collapse and stop breathing.

He attempted CPR before an ambulance attended and took him to hospital from there.

The inquest, before Coroner Peter Sigee, continues.