Ex-Cabinet minister Sajid Javid today revealed how he still wonders if 'there's anything I could have done' to save his brother's life.

The former health secretary spoke about how his family 'just didn't see it coming' when his eldest sibling, Tariq, took his own life in 2018.

Mr Javid is calling for more Government action to tackle the suicide rate, which he said remains 'stubbornly high' in the UK.

Tariq Javid, a supermarket chain boss, was found dead in a luxury hotel room just ten minutes from his West Sussex home in July 2018. 

In a radio interview to mark World Mental Health Day, Mr Javid - one of five brothers to Pakistani Punjab-born parents who migrated to the UK in the 1960s - revealed his ongoing shock over his brother's death.

He also slammed the Government for a delay in introducing new online safety laws.

Mr Javid, who is also a former home secretary and ex-Chancellor, claimed there was a 'huge gap' in online regulation of content which incites suicide.

The Conservative MP cited the tragedy of schoolgirl Molly Russell in his demand for a crackdown on pro-suicide and self-harm related material on the internet.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme of his own family's tragedy, he said: 'It was four years ago he (Tariq) took his own life.

'None of us in the family, we didn't see it coming at all. One day he was there, the next day he was gone.

'I still think, very regularly - certainly on his birthday and other special family moments that I recall with my brothers - about whether there's anything I could have done to save his life.

'Sadly he's gone.'

Mr Javid said his family's experience was 'far from unique' as he noted there were 5,000 suicides on average in England every year.

'The rate has remained stubbornly high in the UK and more needs to be done,' he added.

The politician made a plea for anyone who has suicidal thoughts, or who was worried about a friend, to 'talk to someone' such as a family member, a work colleague, another loved one or call Samaritans on 116 123.

'We just didn't see it coming - he didn't talk to anyone about this,' Mr Javid said of his brother's suicide.

Mr Javid revealed how members of the Asian community encouraged him not to talk about Tariq's suicide.

He said the 'stigma' around suicide was 'more of an issue' for 'certain communities' but added: 'It's an issue generally in any case - particularly for men. Three-quarters of suicides are men.'

Last month, a senior coroner concluded Molly Russell died after suffering from 'negative effects of online content' in a landmark ruling.

The 14-year-old, from Harrow in north-west London, died in November 2017 from an act of self-harm.

Mr Javid blasted a delay in bringing forward new legislation in the Government's Online Safety Bill, which aims to tackle harmful digital content. 

'It is an offence under the current suicide act to encourage or incite someone to kill themselves,' he said.

'But there’s a huge gap when it comes to covering digital communication.

'We were all reminded of that just last week with the coroner’s report into the tragic death of Molly Russell... so that needs to happen, but the Government’s taking too long.

'When I was home secretary, alongside Jeremy Wright the culture secretary, we introduced the white paper on online harm, and here we are, four years later, nothing has happened.

'Other countries have done this and nothing has happened. Four years.'

• For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org