Callers to Samaritans will no longer have to pay for the call, after the charity made its helpline free for the first time.

While other helplines such as Childline are free, callers to the UK's leading suicide reduction charity have not been. However funding from the Big Lottery has enabled the move, which Samaritans said would enable it to help more people who are struggling to cope.

Rates of suicide are higher in Scotland than in other parts of the UK. Scottish figures published last year showed that the group at highest risk of suicide were men in their 30s, 40s and 50s, from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Commenting on the launch of the new free number, Samaritans’ Executive Director for Scotland, James Jopling, said: “It has long been an aspiration for Samaritans to make our helpline number free to callers, so this is a really positive step in improving access to our life-saving support.

"We know that call charges can be a barrier to accessing our service, potentially preventing some people from contacting Samaritans when they need us most. People in the lowest social economic groups, living in the most deprived areas, are ten times more likely to die by suicide than those from more affluent areas, so the financial implications of accessing help can be significant."

Peter Ainsworth, Big Lottery Fund UK Chair, said: “We are delighted to have helped bring about this important development, which will make Samaritans’ service available to all”

Samaritans’ new free helpline number is 116 123. Calls to this helpline number do not appear on phone bills.