ou. a man with autism and learning disabilities has been held in a secure unit for 21 years because of a lack of support in the community. a seniorjudge has criticised the authorities for outrageous delays in handling the case. bbc news has now succeeded in getting a court order lifted, allowing us to name tony hickmott, who's 44. his case is by no means an exception. the latest figures show there are more than 2,000 patients with learning disabilities or autism in similar situations across england. bbc news has learned that at least 100 of them have been held in secure settings for more than 20 years. 0ur correspondentjayne mccubbin has been to meet tony hickmott s parents, who've taken their fight to the court of protection to get their son back. nine months... to be away for nine months until he found them a suitable place in the brighton area. that's what we was told. but it's far from the truth.