Pat Dollard

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Pictured is Natasha Randall, close friend of earlier victim Liam Clarke, hanged herself in her bedroom.

Seven young people, all from the same hometown and all part of an Internet community, have committed suicide in the past year…many connected others, have unsuccessfully attempted to kill themselves.

One commentor on the article, which I have pasted in an excerpt from below, from that same small town as those who have committed suicide as a part of the virtual community, said this:

“I live in Bridgend, suicide in Bridgend is a huge issue, it’s not just these poor deluded kids, nearly every week for years now in the local newspaper someone tries to commit suicide, some succesful some not.”

From an article in ThisisLondon.co.uk:

A coroner yesterday launched an investigation into the link between the internet and young suicides – as an MP hit out at websites for “romanticising” teenage death.

Phillip Walters, the coroner for the town of Bridgend where seven young people have hanged themselves in a year, fears the teenage sites such as Bebo play a part in the spate of mystery deaths.

Mr Walter said he is “desperately concerned” about the chain of young suicides – and of the connection to teenage social network sites such as Bebo and MySpace.

The coroner said: “I shall be looking at these networking sites myself to see if there is a link between them and the growing number of youngsters committing suicide.

“But in the meantime I want to warn youngsters about the possible dangers these websites can pose.

“I would also like to warn parents to be actively on the alert for signs of their children being influenced by others on these sites.

“We never seem to get to the bottom of these deaths and no-one seems to be able to explain them.

“It is of great concern that some of them seem to be happening for no apparent reason.”

Mr Walters has already held hearings into four of the young suicides – Dale Crole, 18, David Dilling, 19, Thomas Davies, 20, and Zachery Barnes, 17.

He opened inquests on the other three – Liam Clarke, 20, Gareth Morgan, 27, and Natasha Randall, 17 – to await full police investigations into their deaths.

The small town of Bridgend has been rocked by this string of copycat suicides

Local people fear the hangings are linked to a chilling internet cult which has become “a cool thing to do” in the town.

Within 24 hours of the latest death last week, two friends of the teenage girl had also attempted suicide.

Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme: “This is not just happening in the town of Bridgend, it is happening across a 15-mile radius.

“This is a small community. People know each other. Family links are very easily made and friendships are very easily made because most people tend to socialise in the evening in the town of Bridgend.”

Full article here.