The sister of a schizophrenic who died in police custody told jurors she had to rescue him from foreign countries.

Marcia Rigg-Samuel, 48, of Tooting, was giving evidence during the long-awaited inquest into the death of Sean Rigg, who died after being taken ill at Brixton police station in 2008.

Mr Rigg, 40, was arrested on suspicion of committing public order offences and attacking a police officer in Weir Road, Balham, on August 21.

He was taken ill at the police station where he was seen by a doctor. He was sent to hospital by ambulance, but needed to be resucitated on the way and was pronounced dead at the hospital that night.

Charity Inquest, whose lawyers are representing the family, welcomed the start of the inquest, scheduled for seven weeks, on Monday.

It said the Independent Police Complaints Commission's investigation into the death of a vulnerable black man has been severely criticised, as has the police handling of the case and their treatment of the family, and the family had a right to know the truth.

The Rigg family released a statement saying: "We have been battling for nearly four years to find out the truth of what happened to our brother that night.

"Sean was doing great things in his life and it was devastating his life was cut short in this way. Sean should have been safe in the care of the police and the mental health services.

"We believe his death was wholly avoidable and welcome the chance for the evidence to be finally aired publicly and properly scrutinised."

On Tuesday, Ms Rigg-Samuel told a jury at Southwark Coroner's Court her brother's mental health problems began when he was 20-years-old after he experienced a bad trip after taking LSD.

He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and although this could be controlled with drugs he repeatedly failed to inject them.

He lived in a community health hostel in Fairmount Road, Brixton, and released a CD with lyrics about his life.

She said: "He was boisterous, funny, a talented musician - he had no physical problems. When he had his medication he was well."

She said there were several occasions when she had to rescue her brother from abroad, with Mr Rigg running into problems with police in places as far flung as Thailand, Jamaica and Switzerland.

She said: "Once he was abroad and he telephoned me. He needed a ticket to go to America, I knew from what he was saying he wasn't well.

"I remember checking the number and realising he was abroad. He thought he had a concert to go to.

"The police in that country picked him up. It was about 2am in the morning, I didn't know what to do."

On the night he died she said she was shocked when police told her he collapsed and died.

She said: "The police came to our house and told us he had been arrested and taken to Brixton police station and had suddenly collapsed and died.

"They said they had no more information. We never heard from them again."

She said she last saw him about two weeks before his death when he helped her move house and spoke to him subsequently on the phone, noting he seemed well.

Mr Rigg's mental health consultant, Professor Tom Fahy, told the court he was repeatedly arrested by police and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

He said he was prescribed injections to deal with his problems, as well as Viagra to help cope with the sexual affects it can have on users, so he would keep up with the medication.

The court heard the combination of the drugs can cause heart problems, but only to people who were overweight or unhealthy.

Prof Fahy said: "When he became unwell he would become provocative. He believed he had a lot of money, that he was famous and he believed there was a conspiracy against him.

"There was involvement with police and on occasions he would become violent."

He said Mr Rigg would often reject the fact he was unwell and said mental health professionals misunderstood him because he was an "energetic young black man".

The inquest continues.