A YOUNG Bolton bakery worker has died after contracting the deadly meningitis bug.

Mark Salt, who worked at Park Cake Bakeries based in Duckworth Street, Bolton, lost his fight for life on Tuesday afternoon.

Today his heartbroken fiancee, Carole Hughes, told how just two days before his death Mark had been admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital before being allowed home after being told he had flu.

And hours before his death a GP who was called out to their home in the early hours of Tuesday morning again diagnosed Mark as having flu, she said. At 7am on the same morning Carole said she rang for an ambulance after Mark's condition worsened. At 1pm on the same day he died in hospital. Today, Carole, aged 28, spoke of her devastating loss at the home she shared with Mark in Johnson Street North, Tyldesley. The couple had been together since 1988. She said: "At the moment I just feel nothing, I can't believe it's happened. All I can remember is when Mark was dying I was screaming because I thought if I screamed loud enough he would wake up. It's all happened so quickly. I can't believe he's died because so many times I was told he had flu."

Mark's parents, Brenda and Brian, his brother Stuart, 20, and sister Joanne are said to be devastated by his death.

And fans and players of Atherton LR, the team which Mark, 29, supported, have also been stunned by his death.

Mark was responsible for producing the club's programme and had recently created a website on the Internet for the football club.

Today Atherton LR spokesman Ken Hewitt said: "Mark's death is a great blow to the club. He had a lot of input into this place. He was a smashing lad who will be greatly missed."

Workers at the bakery were given information about meningitis following his death.

A spokesman for the bakery said: "When advised of this very sad event we took immediate advice from Dr Robert Aston, the consultant responsible for public health issues in this area.

"He wanted to give a strong message that there is no risk to anyone associated with the factory and certainly no risk of transmission through the food we produce.

"At this time our thoughts and our deepest sympathy are with the family."

And today Dr Robert Aston again stressed there is no increased risk to anyone working at the factory.

He added: "There is no need for people to get antibiotics just in case. Inappropriate antibiotics may even increase the risk.

"Management at the factory concerned have been superb in their swift action based on medical advice.

"I was at the factory yesterday to offer advice to workers and to highlight that there is no increased risk to anybody."

A Royal Bolton Hospital spokesman offered condolences to Mark's family, adding: "We are not in a position to comment further on the cause of death nor on the circumstances surrounding his admission to hospital."

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