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| Police probe town's suicide spate | Police probe town's suicide spate |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police and health services in south Wales have set up a group aimed at preventing more suicides in Bridgend and the surrounding area. | Police and health services in south Wales have set up a group aimed at preventing more suicides in Bridgend and the surrounding area. |
| Last week, Natasha Randall, 17, was found hanged at her Blaengarw home, near Bridgend, and a girl believed to know her self-harmed a day later. | Last week, Natasha Randall, 17, was found hanged at her Blaengarw home, near Bridgend, and a girl believed to know her self-harmed a day later. |
| Seven young people have committed suicide in the past year in the area. | Seven young people have committed suicide in the past year in the area. |
| Officers are investigating whether the girls had made contact on the internet, by e-mail or on a networking site. | Officers are investigating whether the girls had made contact on the internet, by e-mail or on a networking site. |
| Police also said they had spoken to a number of young people and parents to urge them to be vigilant. | Police also said they had spoken to a number of young people and parents to urge them to be vigilant. |
| South Wales Police have joined a focus group, which also includes members from Bro Morgannwg Health Trust, local schools and Bridgend Council, to help prevent suicides and attempted suicides. | |
| We need to get the message across that they can contact us about anything they want Darren Matthews, Samaritans | We need to get the message across that they can contact us about anything they want Darren Matthews, Samaritans |
| Supt Tim Jones, divisional commander of Bridgend police, said they were looking at the circumstance surrounding Natasha's death. | Supt Tim Jones, divisional commander of Bridgend police, said they were looking at the circumstance surrounding Natasha's death. |
| "It is important to stress that at this time we have not established any direct links between [this] death and a 15-year-old girl attempting to harm herself in Pontycymmer on Friday," he said. | |
| 'Prevention' | 'Prevention' |
| "However they were known to each other as you would expect in small neighbouring communities. | |
| "One line of inquiry within the investigation is the examination of the computer of the 17-year-old girl which is currently ongoing. | |
| "Clearly communication between friends and associates is an important consideration. | "Clearly communication between friends and associates is an important consideration. |
| "There is a growing trend for young people to communicate through telephone text messaging and also over the internet, whether it's e-mail or within chat room forums." | |
| Last summer, Bridgend coroner Philip Walters said he was "desperately concerned" about the number of suicides among young men in the Bridgend and south Wales valleys area. | Last summer, Bridgend coroner Philip Walters said he was "desperately concerned" about the number of suicides among young men in the Bridgend and south Wales valleys area. |
| Darren Matthews, branch director of the Samaritans charity in Bridgend, said there had been a "marked increase" in the suicide rate among young people over the past year, and they had heard reports of at least one suicide a month. | |
| 'Chat' | 'Chat' |
| His organisation has been involved for over a year with a suicide prevention group, and has also been holding meetings with the local MP Madeleine Moon on the issue since June. | |
| "The problem is young people think their problems are too trivial. We need to get the message across that they can contact us about anything they want. | "The problem is young people think their problems are too trivial. We need to get the message across that they can contact us about anything they want. |
| "Madeleine was instrumental in setting up what we call coffee-and-a-chat sessions to get young people to come along and chat, whether about moving from home to university, families, whatever," Mr Matthews said. | "Madeleine was instrumental in setting up what we call coffee-and-a-chat sessions to get young people to come along and chat, whether about moving from home to university, families, whatever," Mr Matthews said. |
| Asked whether he thought modern technology could be adding to the problem, he said: "The internet is a method of communication that has been used for some time and just like the telephone you can't stop people using it. | Asked whether he thought modern technology could be adding to the problem, he said: "The internet is a method of communication that has been used for some time and just like the telephone you can't stop people using it. |
| "We can't say whether it has any impact on suicides. | "We can't say whether it has any impact on suicides. |
| "We do a lot of work with social networking sites and we are on these websites and hopefully people will come through to us." | "We do a lot of work with social networking sites and we are on these websites and hopefully people will come through to us." |