A FORMER Bolton police chief is pounding the beat again - in a bid to help improve the lives of handicapped children throughout the North-west.

Alan McLeod, who retired two years ago as head of Farnworth Police, is raising money to boost the Mencap Blue Sky Appeal.

The former superintendent - who has a daughter with Down's Syndrome - is a North-west fund-raiser for the charity's national appeal to finance the formation of a family adviser service for children and adults with learning difficulties.

Nationally, Mencap hopes to raise £13 million over the next three years to fund the service. The role of the adviser will be to provide a focal point for advice, help and practical support.

The target figure for fund raisers in the North-west is £900,000. Six family advisers will be based in the region - two in Greater Manchester.

Mr McLeod, aged 56, who has been a member of the Lowton, Golborne and Ashton branch of Mencap for 18 years, is touring the region urging business organisations, retailers, voluntary groups and members of the public to "adopt" the charity and support its cash raising effort.

Mr McLeod is still a governor of Hayward School, Great Lever, and last year received a certificate from Wigan Council in appreciation of his voluntary work in the community.

"I certainly believe that at the present moment many parents of children with learning difficulties are facing problems which they may not need to," said Mr McLeod.

"We hope the money we raise under the Blue Sky Appeal will help to set up a Family Support Team.

"The professional advisers together with teams of trained volunteers will support families, provide information about the services available and help them to tackle any problems."

Mencap is the largest society in the country providing support for families of people with learning difficulties. It is estimated that up to 960,000 people in the UK currently have learning difficulties.

A Family Fun Day in aid of the Blue Sky Appeal will be held at the Tesco store in Horwich on Monday, May 26.

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