A COUPLE whose daughter died from meningitis are campaigning for a specialist 24-hour children's medical centre to be set up in Bolton.

Little Chloe Deveney would have been seven this Christmas -- but she died suddenly from meningococcal meningitis on December 20, 1998.

Her devastated parents have been so upset since her death that they have never spoken publicly before.

But now, following the death last month of three-year-old Morgan Leyland from Darcy Lever, they have decided to speak out.

Chloe's brightly-wrapped Christmas presents from 1998 still remain unopened at the family home in Kearsley, her first bike unused.

Her parents, Warren Deveney and Sarah Dale, of Queensway, Kearsley, read about the death of Morgan with disbelief and anger that another family had gone through the ordeal they suffered.

Chloe saw a doctor at the Landmark House medical centre in Chorley New Road, Bolton, just hours before she died.

Mr Deveney, aged 28, said that the male doctor who examined Chloe told them that she was suffering from a viral infection and sent her home to take paracetamol.

When Chloe's condition worsened, her parents phoned the Landmark centre and were told to take her to hospital immediately. She died at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

When Morgan Leyland's parents took their daughter to see a female doctor at Landmark House last month, meningitis was not diagnosed. She, too, died later in hospital.

Mr Deveney said that reading about Morgan had made him angry. "It brought all those memories flooding back," he said. "Something needs to be done in Bolton to make GPs more aware of the symptoms of meningitis."

"There should be a specialist team set up 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

GPs say that the illness is so rare that they generally only see one case in their careers and symptoms of vomitting, fever and lethargy are similar to more common viral infections.

Chloe's parents have refused to celebrate Christmas since her death, but this year they have put up Christmas pictures drawn by Chloe of a Christmas stocking and reindeer.

Mr Deveney said: "Christmas has been hell. The year she died, the presents remained under the tree. We still have them unopened. We have planted a rose tree in the garden to remember her by.

"Meningitis is so sudden. I advise anyone who is worried about their child to take her straight to hospital if they suspect meningitis.

Bolton Primary Care Trust director of public health Janet Hutchinson said: "The Primary Care Trust will be working with the local GP community to include fresh update and awareness sessions on meningitis into their training programme in the near future. We will also be looking to provide similar training for a wider range of health professionals in Bolton.

"Our aim is to ensure that all GPs and other primary care professionals have as high a level of knowledge and expertise as possible with regard to meningitis. Sadly, meningococcal meningitis is a devastating disease which may progress extremely quickly. Sometimes children will die from this disease, despite the highest standards of professional care."