THE mother of a suicide victim is urging parents of teenagers to be aware of depression warning signs.

Angela Franklin, of Watton, Bridport, claimed the authorities ‘failed’ her depressed teenage son and he would still be alive today if he had more help.

Her son, James Lowe, 18, hanged himself in the family garden in November 2007.

Ms Franklin said: “It was like James was sinking in quicksand in slow motion and no one could throw a rope.

“It was the same as going to a doctor and being told that you have cancer and no one’s going to do anything about it.”

Her comments came after a Prince’s Trust report revealed that one in 10 South West youngsters think life isn’t worth living.

The report also revealed that a quarter of 16 to 25-year-olds in the South West admit to being ‘often’ or ‘always’ down or depressed.

More than one in four young people said they were less happy now than they were as a child and 15 per cent felt like crying ‘often’ or ‘always’.

A special programme has been set up to help young people from Weymouth and Portland who are depressed.

Around 40 young people have used the programme over the last year.

The Waves Young Persons Advice Centre in Weymouth runs a Stand By Service which takes youths out to Dorset attractions with adult volunteers and encourages them to take part in sports.

Jane Fuhrmann, family mediator at Waves, said: “There are some young people who may present as being depressed, but they actually have a lack of self-confidence and a lack of self-esteem.

“We have a stand by service where we look to take them out of their comfort zone.

“It’s about helping them to feel good about themselves.”

Ms Franklin is now campaigning to make help more widely available for young people who are depressed or have suicidal tendencies.

“The care James had was atrocious and I think he would still be alive today if he’d had more help.

“My boy should have had a future but instead I woke up, drew my curtains back and saw him hanging from my tree,” she said.

For information on help with depression, see mind.org.uk or thesite.org/healthandwellbeing