An LBC investigation has found an online suicide forum linked to at least 135 UK deaths has expanded into video games used by young people. The site hosts detailed suicide method discussions and remained accessible despite attempts to block UK users.
Share
An online suicide forum linked to at least 135 deaths in the UK has expanded into gaming spaces used by young people, LBC can reveal, as regulators face criticism over the speed of their investigation.
Campaigners and bereaved families say authorities have been far too "timid and slow" to act, despite years of warnings about the dangers posed by the platform.
LBC has been investigating the forum, which we have chosen not to name due to the nature of its content and the risk of directing vulnerable people towards it.
The site hosts extensive discussions about suicide methods and has repeatedly been linked to deaths in the UK. Among the material are detailed guides explaining how certain chemicals can be used to end a person’s life, with users discussing preparation, timing and the physical effects.
While reviewing the forum, LBC found threads where users discuss suicide plans in practical terms and share advice on how to carry them out.
The community has also circulated guidance on how users can maintain access to the site despite regulatory scrutiny.
The site, which has tens of thousands of members, including children, introduced a block intended to prevent people in the UK accessing the platform after regulators began investigating it. But the site remained accessible through mirror domains hosted under different web addresses.
Worryingly, LBC has discovered the community has expanded onto a Minecraft server, raising fresh concerns that spaces widely used by younger audiences may now be part of the network.
Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, described the platform as an “appalling forum” that exists to “coerce and groom young people into ending their lives.”
He said action against the site has been “timid and slow” despite dozens of warnings from coroners and bereaved families.
The site has already had devastating real-world consequences for families. Vlad Nikolin-Caisley, 17, from Southampton, died in May 2024 after becoming a user of the forum.
His mother, Anna Nikolin-Caisley, told LBC the pace of regulatory action has been painfully slow.
“Ofcom’s enforcement has been far too slow,” she said, warning that dangerous material has remained online for years while families continue to suffer.
“When harmful content stays accessible despite known risks, families are left devastated. Every day of delay tells grieving parents their child’s death was preventable but not prioritised.”
She said stronger protections are urgently needed to prevent further tragedies, arguing that online platforms should face the same level of regulation as businesses offline and be required to remove harmful content quickly, with meaningful penalties if they fail to act.
The case against the forum is further bolstered by the landmark conviction of Miles Cross, a 33-year-old from Wrexham who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in January for his activities on the platform.
Cross admitted to encouraging and assisting the suicides of vulnerable users by selling them lethal substances for profit. A complex investigation by North Wales Police, launched in October 2024, revealed that Cross had targeted four individuals during their most desperate moments, tragically resulting in two deaths.
This prosecution, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK involving this specific forum, saw the National Crime Agency and police share vital evidence with Ofcom to support the ongoing regulatory crackdown.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Chris Bell noted that Cross proactively provided the means for victims to end their lives instead of directing them toward support.
The charity has identified at least 135 UK deaths linked to the forum and a substance promoted there for suicide, he said, warning regulators must now move decisively.
Burrows said the discovery of activity on a gaming platform used by children made the situation even more alarming.
“It is incredibly concerning that the forum has expanded onto a gaming site used by so many young people,” he told LBC, warning it showed the need for stronger protections across the online spaces used by children.
Charity Samaritans said detailed suicide method information online can have devastating consequences for vulnerable people.
Lydia Grace, the organisation’s Online Excellence Lead, said people sometimes visit online communities looking for support, but exposure to detailed information about suicide methods can increase the risk of imitation.
She also warned that mirror sites can undermine attempts to block harmful platforms by allowing the same service to remain accessible under a different domain.
She told LBC: "Detailed information on suicide methods is particularly harmful as it can cause vulnerable people to imitate this behaviour. Unfortunately mirror sites are a particular problem as they are simply an underhand way of bypassing protections aimed at keeping people safe."
The discovery that the forum remained accessible through a mirror site was later verified by Ofcom, which has been investigating the platform under the Online Safety Act, for almost a year, a period of time which some campaigners have hit out at.
The regulator has issued a provisional decision stating it has reasonable grounds to believe the forum’s provider failed to comply with several legal duties designed to protect users from illegal content.
These include failing to carry out a sufficient illegal content risk assessment and failing to ensure harmful material is removed quickly once it becomes known.
The forum’s operators now have until Friday 13 March to respond to Ofcom’s provisional findings.
After that, the regulator will decide whether to issue a final ruling.
If breaches are confirmed, Ofcom has the power to impose fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of global revenue.
In the most serious cases, the regulator can also apply to the courts for business disruption measures, which could force internet providers and other companies to block access to the site in the UK.
Ofcom told LBC that if its concerns are not fully addressed it is prepared to move swiftly towards seeking such measures once the legal process allows.
The investigation was among the first launched under the Online Safety Act after duties on online platforms came into force, reflecting what officials say is the severity of the harms that sites like this can cause.
For families who have lost loved ones, the outcome will now determine whether Britain’s new online safety laws can finally stop the forum from continuing to operate.