A mental health campaigner has welcomed the intervention of a High Court judge in the case of a suicidal Cumbrian teenager.

The 17-year-old girl, who has made numerous suicide attempts, is due to be released from a secure unit on August 14 but experts have warned that sending back to her home town would be tantamount to allowing her to die.

Sir James Munby highlighted what he said was a "shaming" lack of provision across the country to support such at-risk young people.

His comments have thrown a national spotlight on the problem. There is no criticism of Cumbria County Council, the girl's legal guardian, but her plight underlines the urgent need for more specialist provision.

The judge's comments were welcomed by former social worker John Brown, chairman of Survivors of Bereavement through by Suicide (SOBS) in Cumbria.

"Suddenly a judge has recognised something should be done and people are sitting up and taking notice," he said.

"Credit to him for that, but there's nothing new in what he's saying.

“The impression I get of a serious lack of skilled people and resources. I don't have facts of figures but what I do have is an impression.

“It's a reasonable one because I sit on a suicide prevention group, and there are long waiting lists for vulnerable young people who wait a long time to be seen by CAMHS (the Child and Adult Mental Health Service) in Cumbria.

“My impression is that they're really struggling to recruit skilled people and the system is starved of money. You have what I'd say is an implosion which is inevitable given the cuts services have been subjected to for years.

“Young people will inevitably pay a price for that.”

Mr Brown spoke also of a recent meeting held by SOBS at Penrith Rugby Club in June.

He said that the meeting had heard a credible comment from somebody who was there that there ongoing problems around continuing support for young adults once they make the transition into adulthood.

“At the end of the day, there are not enough people in the system with the right skills to work in this area,” he added.

Carlisle MP John Stevenson said the case of Child X highlighted what was a national issue.

He said: "It's an issue which the government has become very aware of but there has been a step-change in attitude from both government and the health service.

“This recognises that mental health problems should be treated on a par with physical health problems – and that is absolutely right.

“But unfortunately that step change will take time, but the Government is committed to doing it."