South Wales: linked to suicide craze

Recently, South Wales has been linked to a suicide craze sweeping a social networking site, Bebo. British detectives believed many of the suicide victims had their own web pages on Bebo and could have been driven to kill themselves as a way of gaining prestige among their friends. There have been a further 13 suspected suicides in the Bridgend county in the past 12 months. 

On February 22, the death toll in a small town hit by a spate of suicides rose to 16 yesterday when two young cousins were found hanged. They died hours apart, leaving the South Wales community of Bridgend reeling from the continuing string of tragedies.

Nathaniel Pritchard, 15, was still alive when he was discovered in an attic room at the family home on Wednesday but died yesterday morning when his life-support machine was turned off.

His cousin Kelly Stephenson, 20, had been told of Nathaniel's suicide bid while she was on holiday in Folkestone, Kent, and warned there was little hope he would survive.

Kelly, who knew two of the young men who died last year - was found dead shortly after midnight yesterday by a relative.

South Wales police and Bridgend coroner Philip Walters said they did not believe the apparent suicides were linked and played down any connection with internet sites.

A task force involving police, social services, health and education officials has been set up to investigate the series of tragedies and discussions have taken place at government level over the spate of young deaths - all by hanging - which started in January 2007.