A mother who lost two sons to suicide has organised a charity fundraising evening to raise awareness of the struggles young men face with mental health.

Luke Pullman, 38, went missing from his home in Winston Close, Greenhithe, in December 2015.

After an extensive, four-day search, Mr Pullman, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was found dead in woodland in Cotton Lane, Stone, on December 15.

Family and friends will also be remembering Mr Pullman’s brother William, who died after jumping from the QEII Bridge in January 2012.

Mr Pullman’s mother, Christina McDermott, from Dartford, has organised the fundraising evening at Dartford Irish Club in Overy Street, where Mr Pullman used to work, on Saturday, to raise money for mental health charity Mind, and Missing People, who supported his family when he went missing.

Mrs McDermott said: “This is just a get-together for friends, family, and anybody else who wants to come along.

"It's difficult to get help and support so you have to fight like hell. We fought like hell" - Christina McDermott

“It’s to raise money and make people aware about mental health and that people do go missing.

“It’s not just your children – it could be anybody, your mum, your sister.”

There will be darts and pool competitions and a raffle. Food and drink will also be provided.

Mrs McDermott said that more people needed to start talking about mental health.

“Mental health needs talking about,” she said. “It’s important that people get the help and support they should.

“The government says there is support, and there is, the problem is accessing it – it’s difficult to get help and support so you have to fight like hell. We fought like hell.”

Kent County Council launched social media campaign Release the Pressure in March, after a large rise in the number of deaths over recent years.

Suicide is the leading killer of men under 45 in Kent. Figures show that, in 2014, 163 people committed suicide, of which 128 were men. A large percentage of those who took their own life were not known to secondary mental health services.

Public health experts warn men are less likely to ask for help from friends and family and lack of contact with mental health services make them a difficult group to reach.

The campaign also asks friends and family members to look out for signs of depression in men they know.