Facebook blocks ‘cry for help’ site for UK troops battling combat stress

Veterans warn suicidal soldiers’ lives being put at risk as...

FACEBOOK has shut down a page used by desperate soldiers seeking support for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – leading to fears it is putting lives at risk.

The social media giant closed Fill Your Boots UK (FYB UK) after claiming its content, which included discussions with mentally ill soldiers who were considering ending their lives, breached ‘community’ guidelines.

Soldiers suffering from combat induced traumas after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan would post ‘cries for help’ on the page on an almost daily basis according to its founder, ex-paratrooper Alfie Usher. FYB UK would then issue SOS messages, asking other veterans to rush to their aid.

But last week the page was dramatically shut down without warning after an exchange of messages between Mr Usher and a former soldier who threatened to kill himself in reaction to the deaths of two of his soldiers who were blown up by Taliban bombs in Afghanistan.

Mr Usher believes the conversation might have triggered an automatic block on the page. He told moderators in a series of phone calls and emails that the page provided a lifeline for troops with mental and emotional disorders, but they still refused to unblock it.

Last night Mr Usher, 30, said: ‘Facebook’s actions have put soldiers’ lives at risk. Guys use the page to express feelings which are really troubling them. They’re desperate for help. It is very hard for them to discuss issues relating to their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan with their families. They’d rather talk to people they meet on FYB UK who have probably experienced the same thing.

‘I tried explaining this to Facebook but they just ignored me. I don’t think they realise the consequences this could have.’

Facebook’s stance is even more astonishing as last night The Mail on Sunday was able to find jihadi propaganda on the site, including pictures of terrorists brandishing ISIS flags and links to an online suicide game which is thought to have claimed the lives of up to 130 youngsters in Russia.

The closure of FYB UK also coincides with an unprecedented spike in the numbers of veterans taking their lives. Over the course of this year UK troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have killed themselves at a rate of one every 13 days – including Special Boat Service trooper Alex Tostevin, 28.

Last Sunday a distressed soldier wrote to FYB UK saying he could no longer cope with feeling responsible for the deaths of two comrades in Afghanistan.

He wrote: ‘Two of the lads in my section got blown up, my lads mate, my section, my responsibility. How do you deal with the guilt mate? I can’t any more, please talk to me. I can’t sleep because of it. I’m done with feeling bad mate, I want out, I can’t deal with this.’ At the veteran’s request Mr Usher posted a public message asking followers to meet the desperate man. This message received more than 50 likes and 18 shares on Facebook.

That evening, however, Mr Usher realised his access to FYB UK had been blocked, which meant he could not reply to messages.

Fresh cries for help from other ex-troops went unanswered, including the request: ‘Hi Alfie, looking for help, I’m a vet with PTSD. I have lost everyone and struggling, feeling suicidal. Obviously talking about it means I’m not going to run off and top myself!’

On Monday Mr Usher told Facebook: ‘The page is a lifeline for so many. It mainly deals with guys that suffer from major PTSD from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. This ban leaves these messages unanswered. It is vital to get the page up and running.’

Last night a Facebook spokesperson said: ‘The page Fill Your Boots UK was deleted because its content violates our Community Standards.’ They said the standards ‘set out limits for acceptable behaviour and content’, but did not explain exactly how FYB UK did not comply.

The Facebook block comes after this newspaper revealed that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are taking their own lives at a faster rate than their comrades died on the battlefield.

Earlier this year The MoS campaigned successfully for the Ministry of Defence to launch a 24/7 mental health helpline for serving troops. Since its February launch it has received 570 calls – more than ten times the number predicted by defence chiefs who tried to block its introduction.

The spike in suicides has also led to Prince Harry expressing concerns about veterans’ welfare.

‘These are guys who are troubled… desperate’ ‘It’s vital to get this page running, it’s a lifeline’