'No-one can judge son over suicide'

Julie James' 23-year-old son Daniel died at a Swiss clinic on September 12, following a rugby accident which left him paralysed from the chest down in March last year.

Mrs James, from Sinton Green, Worcester, wrote about his death in a discussion about euthanasia on the Daily Telegraph website in which she criticised the "well meaning person" who reported the family to the police.

The email said Mr James had found life "unbearable" and revealed he had tried to commit suicide three times.

Travelling to Switzerland was his only option, she wrote.

The email continued: "Whilst we were away some 'well meaning' person involved with social services took it upon herself to call the police.

"This person had never met Dan before or after his accident and obviously gave no consideration for our younger daughters who had seen their big brother suffer so much, and the day before had to say goodbye to him.

"I hope that one day I will get the chance to speak to this lady and ask if she had a son, daughter, father, mother, who could not walk, had no hand function, was incontinent, and relied upon 24-hour care for every basic need and they had asked her for support, what would she have done?!"

Mrs James went on to write "nobody but nobody should judge him".

West Mercia Police have launched an investigation. Police said they had been in contact with a man and a woman following the death.