A bereaved mother has been praised for her poem on suicide following the death of her “extremely caring and talented” son.

Former Plume School humanities teacher Anne Maxwell was asked to write a poem for an information board of a support group for people who have lost loved ones to suicide.

Organisers of Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) were so impressed by her piece of writing, they then put it on their website.

It was subsequently spotted by the national charity’s head office team and Ms Maxwell was asked for permission to have it read out at a national conference on suicide in September.

Author Ms Maxwell, of Heybridge Basin, said: “Bereavement by suicide is completely different from any other type of bereavement and this is reflected in the poem."