CORONATION Street producers have been praised by Bolton parents whose children were struck down with the deadly meningitis virus.

Millions of viewers watched the harrowing weekend storyline which saw tear-away young mum Zoe lose her baby girl, Shannon, to the killer virus.

The emotional scenes on the country's top soap came just months after the number of meningitis cases rocketed in Bolton.

Seven youngsters contracted the disease in just six weeks, spreading alarm among thousands of parents in the town.

Sue Crook's baby boy, Dominic, was one tot who fought back from the brink of death after he was taken ill on Christmas night.

Now Sue and his father Malcolm are members of a parents' support group which has been set up in the town to highlight the dangers of meningitis.

Sue, of The Lees, Westhoughton, said: "The producers should be praised for dealing with this subject in such a realistic way.

"What happened to the baby in Coronation Street was exactly like what happened to Dominic.

"They said that she looked so still and quiet and that was just like Dominic. He was lying there completely listless and just staring ahead.

"I'd been warned that there was a meningitis case on the programme so at least it didn't come as a big shock but when I was watching it it sent shivers down my spine."

And Dr Robert Aston, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with Wigan and Bolton Health Authority, also welcomed the way the programme handled the issue.

He added: "Although I have not seen it myself I understand that it was treated sensibly and highlighted the dangers."

A Granada Television spokesman stressed that intensive research had been conducted with the Meningitis Trust prior to the latest Coronation Street episodes. She added: "We did not put out any publicity prior to the programme as we felt that would be too insensitive.

"Both ourselves and the Meningitis Trust hope that parents will have taken note of the points raised and will have a greater awareness of meningitis."

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