WEST London Mental Health Trust has agreed it must change the way it monitors risk assessments following the murder of an Acton care worker by a service user.

Earlier this month Michael Meanza, 47, was jailed for a minimum of 24 years for the murder of Jenny Foote, 38, in July last year.

The schizophrenic resident bludgeoned Miss Foote to death with a fire extinguisher in the office of Collette House, a hostel in Perryn Road.

Paul Foote, the victim's brother,  described Meanza as a ‘ticking time bomb’ and said he was ‘angry at the NHS trust and her employers for allowing this to happen’.

He said in a statement presented to the court: “We strongly believe that Jenny's death was preventable had adequate risk assessments been completed, managed and communicated to care workers.”

An independent review commissioned by the Trust said it needed to change the way it monitored risk assessments, and to make sure it improved working practices between itself and its partners looking after patients in the community.

Two days after Meanza’s sentencing, a West London Mental Health Trust spokeswoman said: "We are genuinely sorry about Jenny’s tragic death. We know how distressing this has been for all her family and others affected by her death and we offer our deepest sympathies at this difficult time.

"Whilst we cannot change what happened, the independent review we commissioned recommended changes and improvements to the way we care for people in our forensic services.”

She added: “We fully accept a need to make these changes and we are determined to develop a culture of safety and compassion in our service and in the services we work with based on cooperation and openness.”