A MAYOR hit out today after a collection said to be for a seven-year-old terminal cancer victim was revealed as a hoax.

Blackburn with Darwen mayor Coun Peter Greenwood had started collecting compliment slips following an appeal to get the young boy into the Guinness Book of Records.

The plea was made in the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service's newsletter.

But the appeal is a cruel con which has left the Royal Mail baffled and almost powerless for 10 years.

Coun Greenwood said: "It's despicable the name of a cancer victim is used for this purpose.

"I certainly intend to take the matter further. I'll be getting in touch with Blackburn MP and Home Secretary Jack Straw."

The appeal said it was the boy's ambition to be in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest collection of compliment slips. But the Royal Mail says it deals with thousands of letters to the address in Carshalton, Surrey, and is urging people not to send any more.

The scheme started around ten years ago when a sick boy called Craig Shergold appealed on TV for people to send him get well cards.

Craig is now fully recovered and no longer wants cards.

But the scheme has continued, with several slight changes in detail over the years.

The address is legitimate but nobody has ever traced the prankster who continues to get details of the "appeal" printed in publications across the country.

Margaret Gregson, office manager with the Council for Voluntary Services, said: "We will be telling people in our next edition not to send anything.

"It's a disgusting way for someone to operate."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.