A rural mental health helpline will go "live" this month after a three-fold increase in calls from struggling farmers and isolated village communities.

The Norfolk-based YANA (You Are Not alone) charity is launching immediate telephone support from March 18.

The live helpline will be active from 10am-1pm every Monday to Friday, allowing callers to speak directly to YANA's trained team - removing the previous barrier of leaving a message.

Outside these hours, the helpline will continue to provide dedicated support through its callback system.

During the last three years, YANA has seen a 216pc increase in the number of calls to its helpline - highlighting the growing need for specialist assistance in the countryside.

Henry Kilvert, chairman of trustees, said: “The aim for the YANA Helpline is to reach as many people as possible. By making it more accessible we believe more people will contact us to receive the support we provide."

YANA offers confidential mental health and suicide prevention support and free counselling for people in the farming and rural industries.

YANA can be contacted via the helpline 0300 323 0400, yanahelp.org or helpline@yanahelp.org.