Mum of dead Leeds soldier James Ross in 'mental health support' plea

L/Cpl James Ross, 30, was found hanged in his room months after completing his second tour of Afghanistan

The mother of a soldier found dead at an army base has called for improved mental health support for personnel.

L/Cpl James Ross, 30, from Leeds, was discovered in his room at Ballykinler, Northern Ireland, in December 2012.

Last month a coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death at an inquest.

His mother Linda Ketcher urged the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide better services for struggling soldiers. The MOD said a "wide range of support" was available to personnel.

L/Cpl Ross was found hanged months after completing his second tour of Afghanistan.

Linda Ketcher: "Put the money in, put the right people in place, get the training sorted."

Mrs Ketcher said she had no idea her son had any mental health problems.

"He never said anything. The only person who knows is him," she said.

She said she wanted the MOD to "make sure the barracks have the right number of medical staff on their sites... and know what they're looking for".

Mrs Ketcher also urged the military to improve procedures aimed at identifying "triggers" for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition which affects many soldiers who have been in conflict zones. Families could also be trained to identify signs, she said.

"Make sure the families know what to look for when they've been out to [a war zone] because [MOD staff are] not giving that information.," she added.

L/Cpl James Ross was described as fun, caring and thoughtful by his mother

At the inquest, coroner Joe McCrisken said some soldiers who gave evidence in the hearing felt there was a real concern that disclosing mental health problems could affect their careers.

Mrs Ketcher said army personal should not believe this is the case.

An MOD spokesman said: "We take the mental health of our personnel extremely seriously and we encourage anyone who may be struggling to access the wide range of support available."

The spokesman said it was spending £22m a year on mental health services, and had launched a 24-hour hotline for personnel, as well as a strategy to tackle stigmas in "coming forward and asking for help".