KEYS to a van which will help a Samaritans branch help people from further afield have been officially handed over.

Colchester mayor Julie Young and Samaritans CEO Ruth Sutherland were on hand to mark the launch of the Colchester group's new vehicle which will allows them to visit events and shows further afield.

Cash for the vehicle was raised through grants and donations.

Director Carol Almond said: "Last year Colchester Samaritans responded to almost 30,000 contacts from callers, and with the recent increase in suicides in the UK it is more essential than ever to make Samaritans’ service accessible and available.

"The way forward for us is to be out there within the community and in response to the needs of our callers we are becoming more and more involved in supporting people away from our base in Colchester’s town centre."