HALTON has again recorded the lowest suicide rate in Merseyside and Cheshire last year, according to new government figures.

There were 12 in the last two years compared with 44 in Warrington, 44 St Helens, 22 in Knowsley, 59 in Sefton and 85 in Cheshire East.

Halton Cllr Mare Wright, board member for health and wellbeing, said: "We undertake an audit each year of the suicides that occur in our borough.

"We investigate the details of each to identify opportunity to learn from incidents, identify any potential trends and to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"These audits are not publishable because of small numbers and details which may potentially identify individual cases.

“We are undertaking a lot of work locally and across the Cheshire and Merseyside area.

"We have a suicide prevention partnership and an action plan, based on national policy aimed at reducing the numbers of suicides and taking a ‘No More suicide’ approach."

The Cheshire and Merseyside public health collaborative, Champs, has been identified as a good practice for the work on suicide prevention.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact Halton’s mental health assessment team on 0151 422 6804.

Anyone feeling suicidal is urged seek immediate help by calling The Samaritans on Freephone 116 123.

Children, teenagers and young people worried about how they are feeling can call HOPELineUK, a specialist telephone service staffed by trained professionals at the charity Papyrus, on 0800 068 41 41 e-mail pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209697.