The National Lottery is to be asked to help to fund a campaign against suicide in a town where at least 13 young people have killed themselves in the past year. The decision to apply to the Big Lottery Fund was made at the first meeting of an anti-suicide task force set up by the health authorities, local council and police in Bridgend, South Wales.

Yesterday’s meeting had been called by the town’s Labour MP, Madeleine Moon, before the latest suicide, that of 17- year-old Natasha Randall on January 17. Her death, which bought worldwide attention to the cluster of apparent copycat suicides, gave the meeting added urgency.

A task force spokesman said yesterday: “The NHS trust is hosting a bid to the Big Lottery Fund for an initiative to reduce suicides in the Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot areas. It would provide a long-term infrastructure for early intervention and access to services. A campaign will help people recognise signs of mental distress to allow earlier intervention. It will work to encourage young people to discuss any problems or stressful situations that they may face.”

The task force is also looking at any common factors in the suicides. Seven of the dead were known to each other and there has been speculation that messages left on internet websites may have contributed to the deaths.

The move came as South Wales police announced last night that it was to review all 13 suicides of young people in the Bridgend area in the past 12 months. The investigation was ordered because of concerns that at least some were connected.

Mrs Moon said: “The suicide prevention strategy is being developed by the multi-agency group including health, education, social and children’s services officials and police, as well as voluntary groups including the Samaritans.

“Our aim was to look at whether there were any common denominators and what services and actions are taking place and whether or not there are any gaps we need to look at. We need to make sure we are reaching out to young people who are concerned and troubled.”

Several of the victims gave no indication that they were unhappy, let alone that they wanted to end their own lives.

Violet Anderson Goodridge, who found her 20-year-old son, Luke Goodridge, hanged in his bedroom in November, said yesterday: “Luke’s death has ripped the heart out of this family. We have no idea why he did it.

“He was not down or depressed. He was a popular boy with lots of friends, he had money because he worked as a driver for our family taxi firm. In fact, he was looking forward to the future.

“I don’t know what led him to do what he did and that’s probably the worst thing — the not knowing. I often think that if he had died in a car smash it would have been better. It sounds awful but at least I would know what had caused his death. He left a note saying ‘I love you’ but it didn’t say why he had done it.”

The South Wales Coroner, Phillip Walters, has opened and adjourned Mr Goodridge’s inquest. Mrs Goodridge does not believe that her son’s suicide was connected to any of the other recent deaths. He did not have a computer and did not know any of the other victims. But she said: “He did know other boys his age who had committed suicide and I can only think this had some effect on him.”

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