York has a suicide rate 30 per cent higher than the country's average, a report has revealed.

A Lib-Dem councillor is now urging action after the figures came out in research from the University of Surrey.

Calls will be made next week for a full debate on the findings.

Coun Simon Tarry will ask a meeting of City of York Council to work with health chiefs and other groups to cut the rates.

Coun Tarry said: "This figure was mentioned in almost a throwaway manner in a report by the Audit Commission to social services in York and, to be honest, I was quite shocked by it.

"If there is a problem with suicide in York then we really want to find out why. We need to know if it's being caused by unemployment, by lack of money or social depravation or other reasons."

The findings are based on research by the National Institute of Epidemiology which looked at death rates between 1994 and 1996. They surprised Coun Tarry because of York's widely-held image of being a highly desirable place to live.

He said: "York is a nice place to live. There are certain areas of social deprivation, but not as bad as other cities. If York's suicide rate really is 30 per cent higher than elsewhere then we have to know why."

Nationally about 13.8 people per 100,000 commit suicide every year. Alison Dixon, director of York Samaritans, said: "We were not aware of a particularly high rate of suicide in York and we are naturally concerned.

"I am certainly not saying the figures are inaccurate and it is something we would be very interested in finding out more about."

Penny Jones, director of planning at North Yorkshire Health Authority, said initiatives were being carried out with partners in the city to cut suicide rates.

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