CHAOS broke out at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary when a family wanted to take home a dead relative's body from a ward.

Doctors and nurses had to stop about 40 family members.

A patient in the ward - who did not want to be named - said the family caused uproar during their visit.

The patient, who had been in hospital for three days, said about 40 relatives arrived at 8pm on Wednesday to visit the man.

He said: "It had been nice and quiet, but then about 40 people turned up and were chatting to the man. But he was very ill.

"They stayed for a long time - after visiting hours - and the staff asked what they were doing.

"They refused to leave.

"There were kids running around the corridors and coming right up to the beds. It was very noisy and I got no sleep."

Police were called at 8.35pm after reports that staff were being threatened.

The police left, but the family were allowed to stay and the patient said things quietened down later in the night, until the man died at about 1am.

The patient said: "There was a hush and I heard people crying. Then there was pandemonium.

"It seemed that the people were trying to take the body. They took him from his bed, but nurses quickly put the curtain around it, so it was hard to see."

The patient said he did not know the dead man's name as he had not noticed him before the incident.

It is thought the man was from the Huddersfield area.

A Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust spokeswoman said: "We have a zero tolerance policy towards violence and aggression towards staff.

"There was a disturbance and as a result the staff called the police. The matter is now with them."

No arrests have been made and police are still looking into the matter.