WORRIED families can now turn to a special face-to-face counselling service, introduced after a spate of meningitis cases.

In the last five weeks in the Bolton area alone six people - all children or young adults - have been struck down by the killer meningitis bug in and around the town.

Many other cases have been reported nationwide, particularly in the Cheshire area.

A three-year-old girl from Kearsley died just days before Christmas after contracting the meningococcal strain of the disease. The other five have all survived.

And on Friday health chiefs appealed for calm after a Bury primary school pupil was admitted to hospital with meningitis.

As the outbreak continues bosses at the National Meningitis Trust today launched a special face-to-face counselling service to help victims of the illness and their families.

The number to ring to arrange for face to face counselling is 0845 600 0800, 24 hours a day.

Philip Kirby, director of operations for the trust, said: "The national counselling network will provide a much-needed service for people who have had an experience of meningitris and require one-to-one intense emotional support.

"We currently provide support by telephone to those people, but face-to-face counselling will reinforce and improve the level of service we can give." Services already available to help meningitis sufferers and their familes include a 24-hour help line and cash support grants.

The new service, part funded by a £37,900 grant from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, will be operated by specially-trained counsellors.

The move has been welcomed by one mum, whose young son fought back from the brink of death after contracting he contracted meningitis.

Battle

Dominic Gannon's parents, Sue and Malcolm, were forced to watch their tiny child battle for survival during Christmas 1997.

Yesterday Sue, of Dale Lee, Westhoughton, said: "All you tend to get from the medical teams are the facts and figures which do not really sink in.

"People are frightened to death so I'm sure it would help to speak to someone who knows exactly what you're going through."

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