A walk and vigil to mark Suicide Prevention Day will take place on Tuesday in Blackburn with Darwen.

Borough Mayor Cllr Brian Taylor, who has seen two of his relatives take their own lives, has invited residents to take part in the activities.

The event on September 10 will start with a 'Walking the Walk' to prevent suicide through Darwen to Blackburn.

It will start at 10.15am at the statue of the falcon in Darwen Market Square before heading towards Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park stadium, where walkers will be able to take a pitch-side photo.

Walkers will then continue on to Blackburn town centre to join the vigil which starts at 12.30pm outside Blackburn Town Hall.

The walk and vigil will feature banners with messages of hope and support designed by local groups.

The vigil will feature local speakers and the lighting of the special candle to symbolise hope and the community around suicide prevention.

A key part of the vigil will include a 40-second silence to signify that one person dies of suicide around the world every 40 seconds.

The vigil will also pay tribute to those in our communities who have completed a Suicide Prevention Course. They can be recognised by their Orange Buttons.

Cllr Taylor, chair of the borough Suicide Prevention Group, said: "I have been a mental health and suicide prevention advocate for a long time now, as I have lost two close relatives to suicide so this is very important to me and is a subject very close to my heart.

"The World Suicide Prevention Day vigil is a wonderful way to come together and support each other, and to help people become more comfortable talking about mental health and suicide.

"If we can talk to each other and support people who are struggling, we can make a big difference.

"The courses available in Blackburn and Darwen are wonderful, they are incredibly informative and useful in terms of being able to feel more comfortable talking to people who may be struggling or at risk.”

An information and awareness marketplace will also be outside Blackburn Town Hall from 11.30am on Tuesday, featuring stalls from the Carers Service, NHS Talking Therapies, ReAlign Futures, Adult Learning / Speak Their Name, East Lancashire Hospice, Samaritans, Blackburn Foodbank, Bags for Strife, Offload Charity, Kooth, Nightsafe, Youth Action, Child Action North West, Lancashire Mind, the IMO Charity, and Shad Chefs Women’s Hub.