The Department of Health has released statistics detailing how many people have committed suicide in south east London.

The most up to date statistics – only including those aged 15 and over - from the government body now cover 2013 and were released last Friday (September 11).

In that year, seven people from Greenwich took their own life.

This has markedly declined over the years, with 19 people killing themselves in 2011, and 14 the year after.

Excluding the City of London, Greenwich has the joint lowest suicide rate with Kingston out of the London boroughs.

In contrast, neighbouring borough Lewisham had 22 suicides in 2013.

There has been little change in previous years, reducing at a rate of one per year from 2011 when there were 24 recorded suicides, then 23.

MORE TOP STORIES In both boroughs, there was a jump from 2010 – 2011 when the Royal Borough saw an increase from 14 to 19, and in Lewisham it rose from 15 to 24.

In both boroughs men are more likely to kill themselves than women with four men - compared to three women - taking their own life in Greenwich in 2013.

In the same year, Lewisham saw 14 men kill themselves compared to eight women.

In Bromley 19 people took their lives in 2013, compared with 25 in 2012 and 22 the year before.

Men are also far more likely to kill themselves; with only 2 women committing suicide compared to a whopping 17 men in 2013.

Bexley borough has the joint second highest rate of suicide in London with 25 people taking their own life in 2013.

The rate has vastly increased from 2012 when it stood at 18 people and 16 in 2011.

Bexley fits the gender split with 20 men committing suicide and only five women in 2013.

The London borough with the highest rate 2013 was Islington with 27.

To view the figures visit: data.london.gov.uk/dataset/suicide-mortality-rates-borough/