NORTH Thanet MP Roger Gale is supporting the call for evidence at the launch of the first ever UK inquiry into self-harm amongst 11-25 year olds.

The inquiry, jointly launched by the Mental Health Foundation and the Camelot Foundation, is in response to growing concern at increasing rates of self-harm in the UK amongst young people.

Rates have increased over the past decade to the highest in Europe. At present, one in ten teenagers deliberately self-harms and more than 24,000 youngsters are admitted to hospital in the UK each year after deliberately harming themselves.

The inquiry is calling for young people, parents and carers, professionals and others who have experience of self-harm, either professionally or through their work, to come forward and share their experiences.

Mr Gale said: "The number of young people who are deliberately harming themselves is an issue of growing concern, and it needs our urgent attention.

“We need to understand why it is happening, and we must begin by listening to young people themselves. I have young constituents that need and deserve assistance but too often they do not know who to turn to and the result is a desperate and self-damaging scream for attention.”

The most common method of self-harm involves repeatedly cutting the skin, but others include burning, scalding, hitting or scratching, hair pulling or swallowing small amounts of toxic substances to cause discomfort or damage.