A man died after police taking him to hospital made a 35-minute detour in search of a midnight snack, an inquest heard.

Officers were ordered to take arrested Ron Nicholls to casualty when they took him unconscious into Brighton police station But they did not realise how serious his condition was and decided to get something to eat on the way, an inquest jury at Hove Crown Court was told yesterday.

It would have taken just three minutes to drive from the police station in John Street to the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Instead, they went on a 35-minute detour to an all-night garage in Dyke Road, Brighton, with Mr Nicholls, 47, lying unconscious and handcuffed on the floor of the police van.

After buying their food, the officers diverted again for a few minutes to stop a motorist driving without lights in the early hours of August 15 last year.

When they got Mr Nicholls, of Horton Road, Brighton, to casualty,doctors immediately recognised he had a serious head injury and rushed him to intensive care.

He died the next day from the effects of a brain haemorrhage.

The court heard the officers could have gone to another all-night garage just a few hundred yards from the hospital in Eastern Road.

A number of officers have been the subject of misconduct hearings as a result of the incident.

PC Chris Kenny, who drove the van, said: "We made a bad decision to drive up to the Tesco Express garage in Dyke Road.

"I did not suspect that Mr Nicholls was as ill as he was, otherwise I would not have taken the diversion.

"In the middle of the night, when you have not had a break or anything to eat since the night before, you do not always make the right decision.

"There was no malice in what we did.

"It was a poor decision and I just did not think he was so seriously ill at the time."

PC Stephen Boyes, who was with PC Kenny, said: "There was a regrettable delay in getting Mr Nicholls from the police station to hospital. In hindsight it was the wrongdecision."

The jury heard Mr Nicholls, who was wanted by the police in connection with five incidents, had been staying with his daughter Ayesha in Brighton after being attacked in Wolverhampton.

She called 999 when he began behaving strangely.

Paramedics coaxed him into the ambulance but he fled when he heard police had been called.

PC Donna Ullah and Sergeant Tim Johnson found him unconscious behind flats in Southmount, Hollingdean.

Mr Johnson asked for a van to take Mr Nicholls to the John Street station.

He said it was a very busy night and he had only eight officers to cover his sector when the proper staffing level was 15.

The jury was told there was nowhere at Brighton police station for late-shift officers to buy food.

They had to bring it to work or buy it during their breaks, which they often did not have time to take.

The hearing continues.