Friends and family of a baby who survived meningitis are petitioning the Government for better testing of newborns.

Parents Chloe Mulqueen and Matt Bevan are supporting a campaign calling on the Government to increase testing for group B streptococcus (GBS), which results in one in ten affected babies dying from meningitis, blood poisoning or pneumonia.

Their son Alfie Bevan, now three months old, survived the disease caused by GBS after undergoing four weeks of intensive treatment during which he suffered seizures lasting upto 18 minutes.

The pair, both 20, of Kings Road, Braintree, are among 1,300 people who have signed the e-petition launched by the Group B Strep Support charity about two weeks ago.

See this week's Times for the full story.

For more information about the petition visit www.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/4854