Former boxing champion Frank Bruno has been committed to a psychiatric hospital after a long struggle with depression.
The 41-year-old was sectioned under the Mental Health Act, but he resisted paramedics when they arrived at his Brentwood mansion on Monday afternoon. Police were called to the scene and, after a three-hour delay, he agreed to be admitted.
It was a sad day for boxing fans, as Frank had become one of Britain's best-loved figures. After retiring from the ring in 1996, he became a popular showbiz personality, with regular pantomime and TV appearances.
Friends say he had difficulty coming to terms with his 2001 divorce from wife Laura, however. And fears for his mental health were further fuelled when he admitted to sleeping in a boxing ring in his back garden. There were also reports that he believed he was jockey Frankie Dettori and that he accused a tailor of trying to put a straightjacket on him.
Earlier this month Frank checked himself into the Priory Clinic in a bid to deal with his psychological problems. He was advised to return for further treatment and warned that if he did not, he could be detained against his will.
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