FAMILIES whose loved ones have been injured or killed in road accidents are invited to attend a special service at a Nelson church organised by the charity Road Peace.

The charity's local representative, Sue Sainsbury, lost her own daughter, four-year-old Jo-Anne, in a tragic accident near her home in 1998.

Jo-Anne ran into the path of a car in Scotland Road, Nelson.

Since then Sue has established the services on behalf of the charity and this year she has organised the entire service, which will be held at St John with St Philip's Church, Barkerhouse Road, on November 18 at 3pm.

It will include families writing the names of their loved ones who have been killed or injured on paper in the shape of oak leaves which will be collected and taken to the altar and prayed for. People can also place photographs of their loved ones on the altar for the duration of the service.

Sue said: "It is open to people from all over East Lancashire and we have mayors coming from Pendle, Blackburn with Darwen and Hyndburn and Brierfield.

"When the little boy died in Colne recently it brought it back for me. I wrote to his family and his mother rang me back. It never goes away, but you do manage to move on and I feel I have started to do that."

She said she had found spending time in the church had helped her to feel closer to Jo-Anne and organising the services has also helped.

"This morning my grandson wanted me to go into his nursery because they were having a road safety day when puppets were being used to teach the children. It was a very hard time for me but I managed to cope with it and I didn't cry."

Sue said she had received a letter from a woman whose brother had died and although she felt she could not attend the service she had asked for an oak leaf to write his name on and have it placed before the altar.

The Road Peace services are held internationally and one of Sue's older daughters, who lives in Holland, will be attending a service organised by the charity near her home.

Anyone who wants to contact Sue can ring her on 01282 705968 or at work at St Philip's on 01282 619057.