AFTER a five-year battle against leukaemia, young Jamie West has inspired his grandfather to raise money for research.

And he's in the perfect position - he is Coun Brian Collis, Mayor of the Ribble Valley.

Seven-year-old Jamie has now been given the all-clear and Coun Collis is determined to use his year of office to help youngsters like his grandson.

He described the past five years as "going to hell and back" and said his family had pulled together to get through the tough times.

Coun Collis, whose wife Pat is mayoress, has named leukaemia research in children at Pendlebury Children's Hospital, Manchester, as one of his Mayor's Fund charities. The other is the local blind welfare organisation.

Jamie, who lives in Cottam with his parents Jaqueline and Nigel and eight-year-old brother Craig, was first diagnosed when he was two. Coun Collis believes his daughter's training as a nurse helped spot the disease in its early stages.

He said: "Jacqui was bathing him and noticed two bruises, but thought nothing of them because he'd just started play school. But as she bathed him two more appeared and she rushed him to the Royal Preston Hospital.

"He was then taken to Pendlebury Children's Hospital where he stayed for 12 weeks." My daughter stayed by his bedside for the the whole of that time."

Young Jamie spends lots of time with his grandparents, who live in Blackburn Road, Ribchester, and even attended a coffee morning aimed at raising money for the Mayor's charities.

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