A TOWN'S mayor has revealed a heartbreaking family tragedy in a bid to encourage those struggling with mental health issues to seek help.

Cllr Bill McEwan, the Mayor of Barrow, has spoken about the loss of his son, Glenn McEwan, who took his own life in 2001 at the age of 32.

He hopes that by opening up about his own experience, he can encourage others who might be dealing with depression or other mental health issues to talk about their problems and get the help they need.

Cllr McEwan is backing The Mail's 'Time to Talk' campaign launched after six sudden deaths were recorded since Boxing Day.

Speaking about his son's death, Cllr McEwan said: “One night he was out with his friends in Amsterdam, they were all having a good time.

“Then at the end of the night, Glenn went home and did what he did. My daughter found him the next morning. She came home and couldn’t get in."

Former Ormsgill Primary School pupil Glenn McEwan worked at the shipyard in Barrow before moving to Amsterdam where he had lived for six years.

Cllr McEwan said: “He was living with his sister in Amsterdam at the time. He had loads of friends there.

“One of his friends had a club which Glenn was helping to refurbish. He also played guitar at the club."

Cllr McEwan said he could not understand why his son had taken his own life at the time.

He said: “All his friends said he was having a good time.

“He had never spoken to anyone about what he was going to do.

“They had no idea.”

Cllr McEwan said it was the coroner who told him has son, a former Thornclffe School pupil, had been clinically depressed.

He said “He never spoke to anyone about it.

“The fact he never spoke to anyone, that got to me.

“I felt guilty, I felt like I should hae been there for him.”

Cllr McEwan said that while he was happy to talk about what happened, he still is not truly over it.

He said the rest of his family rallied together after it happened, but he still felt like he should have been there.

He said he received counselling to help him come to terms with what had happened, and it was through speaking with a counsellor, he realised the importance of communication.

Cllr McEwan urged those who might be struggling with their own mental health to reach out and talk to others.

He said: “If you are feeling like this, you need to talk to people about how you feel.

“If I can help in any way, I am happy to talk.

“Please don’t hide away or get to the point you feel you have to take your own life.

“If you do, you are leaving people who feel lost without you."

Cllr McEwan said he disagrees with idea of men being told to ‘man up’, he went on to emphasise the importance of men knowing that it is ‘ok to not be ok’.

He said: “People who tend to hide themselves away need to talk to people.

“I can’t stress that enough.

“Talking allows you to help yourself but also allows you to possibly help others.”

Since Boxing Day six sudden deaths have been recorded in the Furness area.

Suicide is the most common cause of death for men aged 20 to 49 years in England and Wales

The Mail's campaign ‘Time to Talk’ is striving to encourage young men to speak out and prevent further deaths.

Cllr McEwan said: "The Time to Talk campaign is so important to make sure what happened to us as a family doesn't happen to any other. If I can stop this is any way I will. This is why I am telling my story."