The sister of a man who died after being tasered by police is organising a march in Falmouth to tackle the stigma around mental health.

Marc Cole died on May 23 2017 at the age of 30 after being tasered by police. A pathologist’s report said that he had self-inflicted wounds and died following an episode of “altered behaviour.”

His sister, Lisa Cole, said: “It’s a peaceful march to bring to everyone’s awareness the lack of funding for mental health services.

“It was inspired by the loss of my brother. The last year has been horrific for us. We really don’t want to see another young man’s life end in this way.

“He was a wonderful man. He was a family man.”

Lisa spoke to the Packet in June 2017, shortly after the death of her brother, about her disappointment with the lack of support services.

At the time, she said: “To now be in my home town with absolutely no guidance towards emotional support services is unbelievable.”

The ‘Stop the Stigma – March 4 Mental Health in Memory of Marc Cole’ event will be held at Dracaena Playing Fields on Sunday, September 2 at 1pm, and will be the first annual event to commemorate his death.

Families who have lost a someone to a mental health crisis are invited to bring pictures of their loved ones for the one minute’s silence before setting off on a short march.

The event is sponsored by Man Down Cornwall, a local social enterprise offering support groups to men with mental health issues.

The four main aims of the march are to reduce stigma around mental health issues, to commemorate loved ones who have been lost, to demand more funding for services, and to bring awareness to the consequences of cuts to mental health services.