  We consider a formation scenario for supramassive neutron stars (SMNSs)
taking place through mass and angular momentum transfer from a close companion
during a Low Mass X-ray Binary (LMXB) phase, with the ensuing suppression of
the magnetic field. We show that this formation channel is likely to work for
all equations of state except the stiffest ones. After the end of the mass
transfer phase, SMNSs will loose through magnetic dipole radiation most of
their angular momentum, triggering the star's collapse to a black hole. We
discuss the rate of occurrence of these collapses, and propose that these
stars, because of the baryon-clear environment in which the implosion/explosion
takes place, are the originators of gamma ray bursts.
