THE father of a six-month-old boy struck down by meningitis is calling on the Government to kickstart a massive awareness campaign into the disease.

Brent Howarth is to join the parents of other children who have died or fallen ill after developing the disease in a bid to cut the death rate.

The distraught father has spoken to Robert Leyland, whose little girl Morgan, aged three, died of meningitis last year and the pair have agreed to take action.

Both Mr Leyland, of Crawford Avenue, Darcy Lever, and Mr Howarth, of Tyldesley Street, Great Lever, are concerned that doctors in the town wrongly dismissed fears that their children had meningitis.

Mr Howarth said: "The Government spends millions of pounds each year on meningitis research and on making parents aware of the disease.

"But the symptoms are in some cases being dismissed by professionals so we need to see both parents and doctors being made fully aware of the dangers."

Mr Howarth's son, Vanna, is critically ill in the intensive care unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital after a home visit by a doctor was refused and another wrongly diagnosed suspected measles. Vanna almost died from meningococcal septicaemia, a deadly strain of the disease.

Her father claims the Swan Lane Medical Centre, in Bolton, said a locum was not allowed to see the baby at their home in and a doctor at Landmark House medical centre in Chorley New Road told Mr Howarth and his wife, Ann, aged 37, Vanna was suffering from suspected measles.

Mr Howarth, aged 35, a yard manager at Bolton Scaffolding, said: "My wife and I feel devastated and let down. But we cannot praise the staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital enough because they saved her life."

Mr Leyland, aged 35, and his wife, Sharon, 33, said they were shocked to hear of the case. Their daughter died after developing meningococcal meningitis, 10 hours after a GP at Landmark House medical centre in Chorley New Road, Bolton, sent her home saying that she needed rest.

Mr Leyland said: "Since Morgan died I have spoken to many parents who have lost children in the same way and we are all agreed that more awareness is needed."