MENTAL health workers are to face a series of questions from the sisters of a Berkeley man who died after being hit by a train last year.

Setting out the ground rules ahead of the inquest into the death of Steven Holpin, Gloucestershire coroner Katie Skerrett heard from his sisters Jane and Sue that they wish to quiz doctors from 2Gether NHS mental health trust about his care in the days leading up to his death in November.

At a hearing on Tuesday, the read out a list of questions which they want to ask at Mr Holpin's inquest, which is due to take place later this year.

While she determined that some were not relevant, Ms Skerrett allowed a number of questions which were related to Mr Holpin's state of mind at the time.

He was killed by a train travelling between Yate and Cam and Dursley stations near Kitts Green Farm, Berkeley at 1.30pm on November 20.

At his funeral in December, he was described as "intelligent, entertaining and loved by his many friends".

Ms Skerrett said that she was satisfied the inquest would not need a jury and would be carried out by a coroner sitting alone.

She listed witnesses she will be calling to give evidence – a mental health nurse, psychiatrist, a manager from 2Gether and two trust workers who saw Mr Holpin in his final few days.

Amongst the questions his sisters wanted to ask is why a care worker did not voice their concerns to senior figures in the trust about Mr Holpin's mental condition on four days before his death when he was "showing signs of serious psychotic behaviour".

Other questions include why Mr Holpin was not visited by a psychiatric worker on November 18 instead of just being phoned and why his parents were not told "how serious things were".

Reading out a statement at Tuesday's hearing, his sisters said: "We would like a full explanation of the crisis resolution and home care team.

"Why did they rely on him to tell them he was feeling suicidal rather than them acting on vital signs?"

"He exhibited numerous examples of extreme behaviour. He was displaying what we believe to be high level symptoms and no action was taken at that time."

They also questioned a report from one of Mr Holpin's carers which said that he had been responding well to anti-psychotic treatment for schizophrenia when they had been told by his consultant psychiatrist that he had a treatment-resistant form of the illness. 

The coroner said she would ensure that witnesses who could deal with those questions about the days leading up to his death would be called.