William's 'stop feeling so strong' plea over 'staggering' male suicide rate

Men account for 76% of suicides in the UK Credit: Reuters

Prince William wants men to "stop feeling so strong" and talk about their issues in a bid to tackle "staggering" male suicide rates.

The Duke of Cambridge was speaking at a meeting in London with representatives from National Rail, the RNLI, British Transport Police, the Chief Fire Officers Association, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and the Samaritans.

They were brought together by Campaign Against Living Miserably, a charity dedicated to the prevention of male suicide.

Currently, suicide is the biggest killer of males under 45 in the UK.

The meeting was convened by charity Campaign Against Living Miserably Credit: Reuters

William said he became involved because of his interest in the subject as supporter of mental health campaigns, and because of his experiences as an air ambulance pilot.

He said it was "fantastic" they were trying to "bring the issue to the surface" and to "do something" about male suicide rates.

The Prince described male suicide figures in the UK as "staggering".

The RNLI were also in attendance at the meeting Credit: Reuters

"We need to do something about it," William told the meeting.

"Get more men talking about their issues before it is too late and to stop feeling so strong and unable to seek help.

"Because it can destroy families, it can destroy lives".

Each year, more than 2,500 rail workers deal with the aftermath of suicides, while a further 1,100 actively prevent them.

The fire and rescue services attend 1,500 suicide incidents a year, with a far greater figure for ambulance service members who attend the majority of suspected suicide incidents.