Suicide rate in resort is UK's fourth worst

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures place the town as the fourth worst place in the UK for people ending their own lives.

In Blackpool, there are 17 suicides for every 100,000 people.

Preston topped the list with 18.6 cases, followed by Middlesbrough, with 17.6, and Hastings with 17.4 cases.

The national average is 10 deaths per 100,000.

The Samaritans, which provides a support line for people in despair, said there was no clear reason why the North West is the region with the second highest incidence of suicide, after the North East.

A Samaritans spokesman said: “Suicide is a very complex issue and often there isn’t one main reason why someone decides to take their own life.”

The Samaritans say three times more men than women kill themselves, with deprivation and poverty increasing the likelyhood of suicide by up to 10 times.

More than 6,000 people committed suicide in the UK in 2014, down 120 on 2013.

Lisa Moorhouse, adult mental health network director at Lancashire Care NHS, said: “It is of course tragic when a person takes their own life, and as a Trust we are committed to trying to prevent suicides as far as possible. Our services work closely with service users to provide the highest quality care and ensure they receive the right support at all times. We offer a range of services which cater for people with a range of mental health issues.”

• The Wellbeing and Mental Health Helpline is on 0800 915 4640