A PRODUCTION manager killed himself after looking at suicide websites in a tragedy directly linked to the internet, the Yorkshire Post can reveal.

Simon Lee tried to take his own life in the early 1990s at the age of 19, but failed. Last year after researching suicide methods on the internet Mr Lee, then 32, was sadly successful.

The circumstances of his death echo those of Carina Stepheson, the 17-year-old Doncaster student who was found hanged after becoming involved in the dark world.

Mr Lee's mother, Michelle, has added her weight to the campaign and shares the concern that more people may die unless access to such material is brought under control.

Mrs Lee, of Pogmoor, Barnsley, said: "I think he needed to make sure it would work the second time, having done such a drastic thing on the first occasion which had not succeeded.

"This sort of thing should be stopped. If we can help Carina's mum and hopefully persuade the Government to put a stop to this and prevent further deaths, that is really what we want."

The details surrounding the background to Mr Lee's death mean the tally of victims linked to suicide websites now totals at least 11 in this country.

Arranging deaths over the internet is an emerging cult that has become increasingly common in other parts of the world, particularly America and Japan where new laws have been introduced to tackle the problem.

In Britain, the Home Office acknowledges that the availability of these websites presents a danger to the public, but the Government disputes that legal changes are necessary.

Instead, it believes that a combination of a voluntary code of conduct for internet service providers and better education for those who use surf the web will provide an effective answer.

That is rejected by Ms Taylor, who is currently gathering a petition of names calling for change . She is being is supported by the Lee family, politicians including Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy and the charity Papyrus, which campaigns against suicide.

Many of those who have been influenced by such sites have been relatively young and lacking in experience. By contrast, he was a mature adult with good prospects and a strong sense of his responsibilities towards society.

The fact that a man with a mature lifestyle could be drawn into such sites demonstrates the scale of the risk the present to vulnerable members of society.

After a failed marriage, he was planning to wed his girlfriend and was keen to contribute to society, both as a school governor and in his role as an RSPCA fundraiser.

His crumpled body was so badly damaged he was initially mistaken for bags of rubbish. As he hit the ground Mr Lee landed feet-first, and the impact smashed the bones in his legs and pelvis, with the broken limbs then tearing his face apart, causing injuries so severe his physical appearance was permanently changed.

During an eight-week stay in hospital, surgeons worked to repair the damage to his body, and he was able to start the long process of returning to a normal life.

At the time he had been working in the bodyshop of a car dealership near his home in Pogmoor, Barnsley, but his injuries meant it was impossible for him to return.

A career in the steel industry followed, which took him to the US for a year before continuing his work in Barnsley, where he switched jobs to a manufacturing company, where he was promoted to production manager.

By 2004 the technological world had advanced and Mr Lee had access to the internet and websites which encourage suicide and demonstrate effective techniques.

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