A GRIEVING grandfather has thrown his weight behind a national campaign to raise awareness of meningitis after losing his granddaughter to the disease.

George Brett says his family is still devastated after three-year-old Kathryn Andrews contracted menin-gococcal septicaemia and died within six hours of feeling unwell.

Since the 1995 tragedy, the 73-year-old has spent countless hours raising funds and is supporting the Meningitis Baby Watch Awareness Campaign, launched this week, aimed at quick diagnosis and treatment.

"My granddaughter died within six hours of her first symptoms," said Mr Brett, of Powick, near Worcester.

"It's still very upsetting for the whole family and affects us very deeply, which is why I'm urging everyone to support the campaign.''

Kathryn felt unwell at 8pm one evening and soon after midnight was in an ambulance on the way to hospital, where her family was told it was too late to save her.

"It happened so quickly," said Mr Brett. "But ever since it occurred five years ago I've been dedicated to raising awareness."

Last year, cases of meningitis and septicaemia were at a 50-year high in the UK with more cases in babies and young children than in any other age group.

Although there are meningitis vaccines, they cannot prevent all forms of the disease.

"Vigilance is vital as babies can't say how ill they are feeling," explained Julia Warren, of the Babywatch Foundation.

"To have people like Mr Brett is wonderful for us as he can motivate others in his area to raise awareness.

"Parents should always trust their instincts. If their baby is ill and its condition is getting worse rapidly, parents should get medical help immediately as early diagnosis and prompt treatment give the best chances of a full recovery."

Mr Brett has also welcomed the foundation's initiative to translate the symptoms into nine ethnic minority languages on its information leaflets.

Symptoms of meningitis and/ or septicaemia in infants include: drowsiness, off feeds, irritability, vomiting or diarrhoea, fever, macular rash, neck stiffness, tense or bulging fontanelle (the soft membranous gaps between the bones of the skull), listless body, rash that does not blanch under pressure.

Late symptoms include a high-pitched cry, coma, neck retraction, shock and widespread rash.

In older children and adults, symptoms include vomiting, fever, back or joint pains, headache, dislike of bright light and confusion. Late symptoms include coma, shock and widespread rash.