A father took his own life with a fatal overdose after cruel Facebook taunts tipped him over the edge, his family claim.

Kenny Gregg, 27, committed suicide earlier this year, leaving his two-year-old daughter Esme fatherless and his family devastated.

His younger sister Carolyn said Mr Gregg, a chef from Dundonald, Northern Ireland, was targeted by an online troll and found dead by his mother Ann on January 3.

Carolyn, 25, has now started an online petition with the aim of persuading the Government to bring in laws to help put a stop to social media attacks.

The young father's family say one post in particular, which received numerous shares the day before he died, could have been what led him to make the drastic decision to take his own life.

Kenny Gregg, pictured with his younger sister Carolyn, committed suicide earlier this year, leaving his two-year-old daughter Esme fatherless and his family devastated

Carolyn told The Sun Online: 'There were more than 40 horrible comments under this post, all saying what an awful person Kenny was... He felt like his reputation was in tatters.'

She added: 'If it wasn't for those comments on Facebook, we truly believe that Kenny would still be alive today.

'Instead, his two-year-old daughter Esme has been left without a father.'

Mr Gregg sent messages to his sister, and his girlfriend, telling them he loved them before swallowing his mother's prescription painkillers.

Grieving mother Ann revealed that she was making her way to his attic bedroom shouting his name before discovering her son in his bed.

Mr Gregg, pictured with his two-year-old daughter Esme, sent messages to his sister, and his girlfriend, telling them he loved them before swallowing his mother's prescription painkillers

She then started shaking him, trying to rouse him, but saw that his lips were blue and she became 'absolutely frantic'.

Ann tried to wake her son with CPR for roughly five minutes before running out into the street screaming for help, she said.

Mr Gregg was pronounced dead at the scene, with a post mortem finding he had taken a cocktail of his mother's medication.

His last words to his mother were when he told her he loved her the previous night.

Carolyn said that the family did not know about the online comments until after his death - and the day after Mr Gregg passed away someone had posted on Facebook that he had 'got what he deserved'.

Mr Gregg's family are now calling for stricter social media moderation

Mr Gregg's family are now calling for stricter social media moderation, with Carolyn claiming there should be a harder line on users posting 'maliciously', and there need to be 'a lot more moderators'.

Carolyn had previously told the Belfast Telegraph that her brother would 'always worry' about what other people thought of him, adding: 'People shouldn't be able to get away with making somebody feel so low that taking their life is the only outcome.'

She said Mr Gregg had gone through a 'bad period' from July 2018, suffering with depression, and there were things written about him online 'and he couldn't deal with it'.

Carolyn's Change.org petition has so far brought in more than 2,500 signatures.

On the page, she writes: 'My brother was only 27 at the time and had a gorgeous daughter who he has left behind. His family loved and still love him unconditionally, but unfortunately he thought this was the only way to escape.

'My brother was targeted over social media.

'With suicide being rife in Northern Ireland and all over the world i am taking a stand against it.

'I would like this petition to get enough signatures to put in front of our government to put a stop to people being targeted on the internet and social media.

'I would like our government to make a law against this, so people can not get away with making somebody feel this low that taking their life is the outcome.

'And that something can be done about this quicker before we lose more lives.'

In a touching online tribute to her brother, Carolyn wrote: 'They say when you have a sibling, you grow old together and reminisce on the past.

'It was supposed to be me and you.

'To say I had a Brother would be an understatement, I had more than that.

'I had a person who helped me through the hard times, who helped me through each obstacle that was put in my way.

'I had a person that was my best friend, he would never leave me out, (even if he was too cool to be seen with his baby sister).'

She later continues: 'I miss you more than words could ever describe, I'll see you later f*** face and I love you always.'