LADY LUCAN'S SUICIDE CLUB

Inside meetings that give people tips on how to end life Members pointed to dealers who will supply deadly drugs Prize of $5,000 offered for best technical innovation

grease.” While the law around assisted suicide was made clear at the three-hour talk, speakers also pointed out loopholes.

Advice was given on obtaining killer concoctions, including one used by vets overseas which can be purchased from Mexico, Peru, China and India.

Mr Curran, based in Arklow in the Republic of Ireland, told how one Mexican supplier has a three-month backlog of orders. He explained: “We're not in the business of distributing drugs, we'd end up in jail.” But he hinted European suppliers may offer a “delivery” service.

And he warned members to place orders using the “dark web” – anonymous websites whose users are almost impossible to track – and to pay using face up to 14 years in prison. The Director of Public Prosecutions has issued guidelines saying she won’t normally prosecute if the helper is motivated by “compassion”, but that leaves uncertainty for people, and fear of prosecution.

It makes hundreds of Brits a year go to the cyber currency BitCoin. He added: “There is almost everything on the internet if you look hard enough.”

Mr Curran also talked of suicide technology proposed by NuTech, a firm co-founded by Dr Nitschke. Last year it unveiled plans for its “Sarco” suicide pod for people to gas themselves in.

The blueprint to make one on a 3D

Switzerland. And it leads to organisations like Exit International putting up websites setting out how to take your own life.

That is terrible, as it applies as much to vulnerable people who are not terminally ill as to those at the end of their life who should have a safeguarded choice.

And it allows people like Philip Nitschke to prey on people, with no safeguards. An uncertain, oppressive law lets groups like Exit International thrive. It must change. printer could be available online within months. Mr Curran boasted: “Anyone can pull it up, all instructions will be there.”

But after telling how he had offered a $5,000 prize for suicide innovation, he said he was “very disappointed” there was “absolutely nothing new”.

Members were also warned no one named in their will should be involved in their death as it could make it look like murder. Mr Curran added: “It's really important not to implicate anyone else.”

As members mingled later they talked of avoiding a postmortem – so their death would not be identified as suicide.

One ex nurse in her 80s told how she never wanted to end up in hospital, saying: “Once in the hands of doctors, you're theirs. They're meant to save you”.

Dragon Hall said: “The hall was hired for a meeting. Police advised us it's legal.”