£10 million pledged towards mental health 'not enough' says army veteran's widow

  • Video report by ITV News correspondent Paul Davies

A £10 million cash injection to help mental health services is "not enough", the widow of an army veteran has said.

Speaking to ITV News, Jo Jukes said the government promise would get nowhere near tackling the scale of the issue.

"It sounds a lot to most people but the problem is huge and it's not enough," she said.

"There needs to be more money, more work at helping people to understand veterans, helping people to understand what PTSD is."

For years Jo Jukes lived with a war veteran husband suffering from worsening post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute depression - while desperately seeking help for him.

Now she is a widow after Lance Corporal Dave Jukes took his own life in October behind the family's home in Birmingham.

Dave Jukes was sleeping rough as his behaviour was too volatile to be around his family. Credit: Family Handout

Since Dave Juke was buried, six people have taken their own lives according to veterans' groups.

Two are thought to have taken their own lives on Thursday, bring 2018's total to 58.

Mrs Jukes believes the money would be better spent allocated to smaller charities.

Combat Stress, a military charity, said more funding is needed to stop the tragic loss of life.

Combat Stress Chief Executive Sue Freeth explained that current mental health servies are "not well enough funded yet."