Dad pays tribute to son in suicide pact with internet stranger

Stephen Lumb, 35, from Sowerby Bridge, and Joanne Lee, 34, from Great Notley, near Braintree, Essex, were found in a car parked near an industrial estate on Monday.

It is understood the pair made contact on an internet suicide forum and had met just hours earlier.

Truck driver Mr Lumb then drove 200 miles to Braintree to meet Ms Lee.

Mr Lumb's father Melvyn, who shared a home with Stephen, said: "He didn't seem any different, he had the same mannerisms. I didn't know her, I knew nothing about her."

Commenting on his son's use of the internet, he added: "He used it quite a bit, he played computer games. He liked a beer and football, normal lad. It is a complete shock, I never expected anything like this... I loved him. I will miss him everyday of my life. I will miss him every minute of every day. I thought the world of him. I couldn't have had a better son."

It was reported that Ms Lee wrote on the forum on September 4 that she was "desperate" and wanted to "do it ASAP".

She wrote: "I haven't the strength to do this alone. I'm not a cop, a cannibal or a murderer, just desperate. I have all the ingredients and want to do it ASAP."

The bodies were found in the fume-filled car, which had notes placed on the windows warning of the toxic chemicals inside. A source close to the investigation said: "We believe they met a few hours before this tragedy."

The bodies were found on Monday morning by a warehouse worker but sources said it is possible the car had been parked on the site over the weekend, when the area is largely deserted. Essex Police said the deaths, near Braintree Enterprise Centre, were "highly unusual" and confirmed that "noxious" substances had been found inside the vehicle.

The force is treating the deaths as unexplained.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it is thought the chemical involved was hydrogen sulphide, a highly poisonous gas.

Meanwhile, a charity which counsels suicidal people today warned of the dangers the internet could pose.

Samaritans said it was working with providers of social networking sites to try to ensure that suicidal people got access to help if they searched the internet.

"The internet can be a place to find friendship and like-minded people to chat to, but sometimes it can also be harmful," Catherine Johnstone, Samaritans' chief executive, said.

"A distressed person can meet another person online and, instead of finding help and support, they end up encouraging each other to do something they might not have done alone."

She added: "What we are doing is making sure that Samaritans' website is one of the search engine results when a person looks for suicide-related information online, so that the option is there for them to seek help.

"We are also working with social networking sites, such as Facebook, to help them and their users offer support to people in distress.

"This includes a Samaritans Facebook page where people can watch videos explaining the support we provide and keep themselves informed about our latest campaigns, as well as find contact details to get in touch directly."