Facebook rolls out 'suicide prevention' feature in UK

Social networking giant Facebook has rolled out its suicide prevention tool in Britain, which allow the users to notify it if a friend is in distress.

The move by the California-based company comes after successful completion of trials in the United States and Australia.

"We worked with organisations including Samaritans to develop these tools, and one of the first things they told us was how much connecting with people who care can help those who are struggling to cope whether offline or online," said Julie De Bailliencourt, head of safety at Facebook.

"People use Facebook to connect with friends and family, and that's why we're evolving the support, resources and advice available to people who are in distress and their concerned friends and family members," the social networking giant added in a statement.