A man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park may have had his medical records breached by NHS staff.

William Chapman, 24, died after entering the tiger enclosure at the park in Doncaster on Sunday.

An inquest on Thursday heard that Mr Chapman had a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He had also suffered previous bouts of psychosis.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust said it believes two members of its staff accessed or attempted to access medical information “without a legitimate reason to do so” after the incident.

It said it takes the “confidentiality and security of patient information extremely seriously” and reiterated that it has “robust systems in place to protect information.”

It continued “The trust has commenced an investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding these potential breaches and the actions of these individuals.”

The incident has been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The spokesperson for the ambulance paid their respects to William’s family and said they will be kept informed of the ongoing investigation.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened all areas of the park for the first time on Friday including it’s “Land of the Tiger” area.

A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman who sadly lost his life.

“The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff team and animals remain our highest priority.”

The park said it had been inundated with messages of support from the public and issued an update on Altai, the tiger involved.

It said: “We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.

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