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| 'Desperate concern' over suicides | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A coroner has said he is "desperately concerned" about the number of young men committing suicide in his area. | |
| Philip Walters said the number of deaths in Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil had "increased substantially" over the last few years. | |
| Over an 11-month period in 2006, he said he dealt with nearly one case a week. | |
| Mr Walters, who has been the area's coroner for 25 years, said of those the vast majority were men under 30. | Mr Walters, who has been the area's coroner for 25 years, said of those the vast majority were men under 30. |
| Latest figures show suicide rates across Wales have been going down slightly in recent years, but Mr Walters said the rise in suicide in young men was a "nationwide phenomenon". | Latest figures show suicide rates across Wales have been going down slightly in recent years, but Mr Walters said the rise in suicide in young men was a "nationwide phenomenon". |
| There doesn't appear to be any particular reason why, and it just happens out of the blue Philip Walters, coroner | There doesn't appear to be any particular reason why, and it just happens out of the blue Philip Walters, coroner |
| He said: "I think with young men, you've got to be desperately concerned. | He said: "I think with young men, you've got to be desperately concerned. |
| "It's quite a high percentage and it seems to be higher in the valleys than in other parts of Wales." | |
| Mr Walters said the most difficult question was why young men were committing suicide. | Mr Walters said the most difficult question was why young men were committing suicide. |
| "It's the coroner's duty to find out how, and that's not terribly difficult, why is a far more complex situation," he said. | "It's the coroner's duty to find out how, and that's not terribly difficult, why is a far more complex situation," he said. |
| 'Out of the blue' | 'Out of the blue' |
| The coroner explained that in some cases "discussions or arguments" may have occurred prior to the event, but in others there was "no logic". | |
| "There doesn't appear to be any particular reason why, and it just happens out of the blue, and I think that is as great a concern to us as anything." | "There doesn't appear to be any particular reason why, and it just happens out of the blue, and I think that is as great a concern to us as anything." |
| The coroner's comments have been echoed by the Samaritans in Wales, who are in the process of organising awareness campaign in those communities. | |
| The organisation's Joanna Greenslade said: "I'm not at all surprised. It is a problem and it's a very large problem throughout Wales. | |
| "We've looked at figures in Neath and Port Talbot area and again they're very high. We do have a major concern for young men. We're very worried about it." | "We've looked at figures in Neath and Port Talbot area and again they're very high. We do have a major concern for young men. We're very worried about it." |