Students seek counselling as another Bridgend teen attempts suicide

Students from Ynysawdre Comprehensive have asked for counselling after another teenage in Bridgend has attempted suicide.

Leah Phillips, 15, very nearly became the 8th person in what has been a series of suicides police believe may be linked to social networking sites such as Bebo.

Phillips, like all seven victims thus far, attempted to hang herself but was rescued and given mouth to mouth resuscitation by a neighbour and her step father.

12 of the young girl’s friends have approached the school about receiving counselling to help deal with the recent suicides in the town and the fact that one of their close friends tried to take her own life.

Experts have linked the suicides to Bebo as they fear memorial pages set up for those who have died “romanticise” suicide and that young people see it as a way to become famous.

All seven of the youngsters who have committed suicide lived in roughly the same area and were all known to eachother. Phillips was also a friend of the most recent youngster to take their own life, 17 year old Natasha Randall.

In January 2007, 18 year old Dale Crole was found hanged in an old, disused warehouse.

Just one month later a friend of Dale’s from School, 19 year old David Dilling was found hanged near his home.

Two days before the funeral of David Dilling, another school friend, Thomas Davies, 20, hanged himself from a tree. Davies had intended to pay his respects to his friend and had already purchased a suit for the funeral.

17 year old Zachary Barnes was found dead a few months later. He was a friend of Davies and had also hung himself.

The day after boxing day, Liam Clarke, a friend of Dale Crole and a schoolmate of Thomas Davies, hung himself from a tree in a park.

At the beginning of the year a friend of Clarke’s, Gareth Morgan, was found dead in his bedroom having hung himself.

The most recent victim has been that of 17 year old Natasha Randall. Natasha hung herself in her home. Natasha Randall was a friend of Liam Clarke and attended his funeral.