A Cumbrian MP has sent out a petition to gather young people's support for his mental health campaign on World Mental Health Day.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has sent copies of his petition, in support for his campaign to improve preventative mental health care for young people, to every secondary school and college in the county.

The appeal calls for the Government to properly fund preventative mental health care for young people in Cumbria. Due to cuts to the public health budget from the central Government, the county only spends £75,000 per year on tier one mental health preventative care.

"This lack of funds means that this works out at just 75p per child and this is utterly shocking" said Mr Farron

"Every day people come to me with specific issues, complaints and problems. But to be honest none of those problems keep me awake at night like the awareness of the enormous personal struggles that some young people and their families endure through mental health conditions. I know I’m not alone in feeling like this" he added.

Back in 2015, the coalition Government agreed to allocate Cumbria with £25m a year for public heath. But now the county only receive £18m a year, that is £7m less than originally promised.

Mr Farron's petition is a call on the government to invest the extra £7m that was promised in order to fund a mental health professional for every local school and college.

"This petition will give young people a sense of power and a mental health professional for every school and college would not only help our children’s mental health but would eased the burden on our massively oversubscribed local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and relieve the pressure on our brilliant but overworked teachers.”