Alert after poisonous food preservative used in at least 45 suicides

A FOOD preservative has been used by at least 45 people to die by suicide, a coroner has warned.

- BY DAN WARBURTON

He added that online forums giving advice on how people can take their own life are promoting use of the chemical, which we are not naming.

Police who launched a probe found that at least 45 people in the UK and Europe killed themselves by taking the substance, with about 40 more buying it with a view to ending their lives.

Manchester West coroner Timothy Brennand has compiled a series of Prevention of Future Deaths reports after eight people in his area died after ingesting the chemical.

He said: "The police investigation into one UK based source of supply revealed in 247 cases separate supplies of 500 grammes or less of [REDACTED] to customers in the UK and Europe.