I WAS saddened to read that three-year-old Luca Williams lost his legs to meningococcal septicaemia.

Everyone at Meningitis UK was touched to read that two football teams battled over 24 hours for the For Luca appeal and were visited by Cardiff City star Robert Earnshaw.

It was good to read that the competition is expected to raise £7,000 for the appeal.

Meningitis can strike with incredible speed and the symptoms are notoriously difficult to detect, often being confused with flu. For these reasons, we believe preventative measures are the best solution.

Our sole focus is to fund the development of vaccines and other methods of preventing this devastating disease.

Our Search 4 A Vaccine Campaign aims to raise £7 million to fund lifesaving research into stamping out all forms of meningitis.

We also distribute a wide range of material to raise awareness of the common symptoms and the need to act quickly, which can mean the difference between life and death.

If any readers would like a symptoms information pack, including wallet-sized symptoms cards, or to find out more about supporting our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, they can call Meningitis UK on 0117 947 6320 or visit meningitisUK.org or meningitisuk.org.

Kate Rowland, Chief Executive, Meningitis UK