Anxiety made me hide in loo at work and think, 'Please don't ring me...'

Cop on mental health battle & how NHS saved his career

- BY MARTIN BAGOT

A POLICE officer has told how he used to hide in the toilets at work thinking “please don't ring me” due to crippling anxiety.

Inspector Stephen Foster opened up about his struggles as part of an NHS drive to help people using mental health services get back to work.

The dad-of-two, who has been in the police for 21 years, told the Mirror: “A lot of people thought I was on the fast track, maybe going to the top, but my mental health changed that.”

The NHS Talking Therapies Employment Advice service helped save his job after problems emerged when he took a temporary role as an inspector.