PARENTS who lost their baby son to meningitis have joined forces with a pub to raise money for a charity trying to develop a life-saving vaccine.

Baby Bradley Pover was nine-and-a-half months old when he contracted meningitis and died in October last year.

He was the only child of Tracy Hurst and Steven Pover, of Withins Close, Breightmet.

Together with The Withins pub and restaurant, they organised a charity dinner and auction in celebration of Bradley's short life and to raise cash for Meningitis UK.

More than £1,000 was raised for the charity, which is trying to find a vaccine for meningococcal septicaemia, or bacterial meningitis, from which Bradley died.

Miss Hurst, who is expecting a baby in September, said: "It was a really good night. Steven and I are really happy with what we raised.

"It is the only thing we can do in memory of our son.

"His memory lives on in things like this and our helping other people. He would have been proud of us."

There was a charity auction of more than 30 items, including a signed Bolton Wanderers pennant, a signed Manchester City football and a Manchester United shirt signed by Denis Law.

Tim Hines, landlord at The Withins, said: "Steve and Tracy are locals so we decided to adopt Meningitis UK as our charity. It was a fantastic night."

Staff from the pub will make a fundraising parachute jump this month and Mr Pover and Michelle Hines, landlady at The Withins, aim to do a charity run in June.

They hope to raise a total of £3,000 can be raised for Meningitis UK.