A 6,500-name petition was handed to Blackburn MP Jack Straw yesterday calling for the breast cancer drug Herceptin to be made available on the NHS.

The petition was organised by friends and relatives of Michelle Hilton, who lost her brave battle against cancer in September while campaigning for the right to be treated with the drug, which can enhance the lives of sufferers.

Michelle's mother Jean O'Rourke and friend Tracey Reed handed over the petition at Mr Straw's Blackburn surgery. Michelle's husband Barrie and Tracey want Mr Straw to pass the petition to Health Secretary Alan Milburn.

Michelle, a 37-year-old mother of two from Beechwood Drive, Blackburn, had fought for a change to the law for six-and-a-half years, before she died in September. She was initially prescribed the drug by the Christie Hospital, Manchester, but was then refused funding by East Lancashire Health Authority. She was about to start funding her own treatment -- at a cost of £1,000 a week.

Backed by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Michelle was eventually told that the cost of the drug would be met by Christie's, but she died before treatment began. Signatures for the petition were gathered by canvassing friends and neighbours. Ahead of yesterday's meeting, Mr Straw said: "This is a tragic case and I have expressed my sympathy with the family. The most important thing is to ensure that it does not happen again in East Lancashire." He said that new guidelines meant East Lancashire Health Authority could prescribe Herceptin in cases where clinicians believed it was appropriate. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence would make a decision on the issue sometime next year. He said: sometime next year: "The East Lancashire Health Authority has been told by the North West regional office of the NHS that they may prescribe Herceptin in cases where the clinicians believe it is appropriate.

"This is obviously a tragic case and I have expressed my sympathy with the family. The most important thing is to ensure that it does not happen again in East Lancashire.

"We hope that the new guidelines for the East Lancashire Health Authority will prevent that.

"These come in advance of a decision by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) which has been delayed until sometime next year and I shall be watching the national situation carefully."

Herceptin works by attacking an over-active gene, HER2. Research suggests that it slows the growth and spread of tumours and can improve patients' chances of survival by 10 per cent.

As well as the petition a series of fund-raising events was organised in aid of a charity committed to fighting breast cancer -- the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Group.

Michelle's mother Jean said she was hoping that some good will come from the meeting with Mr Straw.

She said: "We just want to get this drug released so that other women don't have to go through what Michelle did.

"It has still not been released nationwide, we want everyone that is suitable to be given it. That is why we started the petition, to carry on the fight that Michelle started." By DANNY BRIERLEY