Bradford's young people could help other youngsters who are suffering the agony of self-harm, says the head of the city's Samaritans.

Director of the Bradford branch Alistair Sharpe said: "I want to get through to more young people and the way to do this is to get more young volunteers. We get calls in from people who self-harm and it is a big issue."

Mr Sharpe said it was mainly young people who self-harmed due to the pressures of modern living.

He said: "It seems they feel unable to talk about the emotions they are going through. The fact that they can't pick up the phone and call us hurts me."

The minimum age for a Samaritan volunteer is 18 but Mr Sharpe said the average age of volunteers was 50.

Although an appeal in the Telegraph & Argus resulted in more than 100 people coming forward to help, only four of them went on to become trained volunteers.

Mr Sharpe said the numbers of people who decide to train was usually half of those who expressed an interest.

This figure is further reduced during the training process as people drop out due to the pressures of training.

Mr Sharpe said: "I had hoped to get the volunteer force up to 100 but we are still only at 80." Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity SANE, said: "There has been an alarming increase not only in the number of people self-harming but of the more brutal methods many of them are using."

She said the issue needed to be taken seriously as in many cases is could be the first step to suicide.

Richard Brook, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said: "The bottom line is that anyone who cuts, or burns or otherwise harms themselves does so out of extreme mental distress.

"It is essential that doctors and emergency workers recognise this when they treat people with self-sustained injuries.

"The many people who self-harm in Bradford need our empathy, respect and understanding, not judgement."

Anyone wishing to volunteer for the Samaritans should call (01274) 547547.