A FIVE Valleys mother has welcomed a breakthrough in the fight against meningitis - which comes just three years after she almost lost her baby to the disease.

Phillipa Robb's daughter Freya was just 11-months-old when she contracted the disease in 2002.

She narrowly escaping death after the classic warning signs didn't show up.

But now a team of Oxford University researchers have discovered new symptoms for the virus - the leading infectious cause of death in British children.

These include cold hands, severe leg pain and very pale skin. "I'm delighted with the breakthrough," said Mrs Robb, a 42-year-old mother-of-three from Burleigh.

"Meningitis is such a difficult disease to diagnose so it's important to know all the signs.

"Freya hadn't displayed many of the classic signs so I didn't think she could have it but by the time we took her to hospital she'd developed the rash and was rushed into intensive care.

"I wish I had taken her earlier.

"She's a normal feisty toddler now and we never forget how lucky she is to have survived without major side effects."

Mrs Robb is a marketing consultant and happened to be working on a fundraising leaflet for the Stroud-based Meningitis Trust when Freya became ill.

Dr Nigel Booker, a GP at Nailsworth's Prices Mill Surgery, also praised the findings.

"Anything that helps detect cases earlier is progress," he said.

"The glass test with the rash is fairly late and the worst case is if a sufferer comes in with just an hour to live.

"If one meningitis case is recognised because you have more parents asking for advice at an earlier stage then it is worth it."

The Meningitis Trust - which was formed after a major outbreak of the disease around Stroud and Stonehouse in the mid-1980s - also welcomed the advance.

Spokesman Beverley Corbett said: "It also reinforces the need for continued awareness among the general public."

*Anyone with concerns about meningitis can call the Meningitis Trust on 0845 6000 800 or the Meningitis Research Foundation help line on 080 8800 3344.

Facts: The new early warning signs: - Going very pale, blue or dusky around the lips -Severe leg pain - which prevents the child walking or standing - Cold hands or feet - when the child has a high temperature