A THREE-year-old girl was fighting for her life today after being struck down by the killer bug meningitis.

Samantha Forrest, who lives in Oswaldtwistle, was initially admitted to hospital in Blackburn before being transferred to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury.

Her parents, Sharon, 31, who works at Express Gifts, Church, and Phillip, 32, a mechanic at Ciceley Motors, Blackburn, are at their daughter's bedside where a spokesperson said Samantha remained critically ill.

The couple and their two older children have been given antibiotics.

Samantha's uncle Stuart Herdman, 21, said: "She has just fought off pneumonia and is finding it hard to fight off septicaemia and meningitis.

"She is on machines to give her body a rest and is stable at the moment."

Mr Herdman, who spoke to his sister and brother-in-law on the phone last night, said: "There is a slight improvement. At one time the doctors were saying if, now they are saying when."

He is at the family home in Central Avenue looking after his other niece Tracey, nine, a pupil at Moor End Primary School, Oswaldtwistle, and 11-year-old nephew Andrew, who goes to Rhyddings High School, Oswaldtwistle.

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