A CONCERNED Radcliffe mother has stepped up her campaign for action on head lice among children by calling a public meeting.

Tracey Brown (33) of Bealey Row hopes that parents will turn up in large numbers for the meeting at Radcliffe Hall CE and Methodist Primary School.

The Bury and Rochdale Health Authority public health nurse, Mr Allan Silverwood, will attend the meeting with another nurse to make an educational presentation which will include a video.

Tracey's daughter Abbie, 7, attends Radcliffe Hall. She has had problems with head lice throughout her time there.

Tracey says the school is right behind her campaign. She wants people to come forward with new ideas on how to deal with the problem for consideration by health officials.

Single mother Tracey and Mrs Pat Mason, vice-chairman of Bury Community Health Council, were in Bury town centre on Monday collecting names for a petition in support of the return of head-lice nurses in schools.

They collected 240 names and plan to return there soon for more names.

They believe that parents do not always know enough to combat head lice and that professional nurses are best equipped to deal with the problem.

Tracey believes that children should be kept off school until their head lice have gone, reducing problems in the classroom.

She has already contacted senior health figures in Bury and her local MP Ivan Lewis.

The meeting takes place at the Bury Street school on Monday, July 19, from 7pm. Contact Tracey on (0161) 280 7932 for further details.

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