THE pain of being separated from her children has forced a Runcorn mum to spearhead a fight to change the law.

Lesley Coleman will be leading a candlelit vigil outside Liverpool Family court on April 22.

It's being held to highlight the problem of mothers missing out on access to their children, thanks to broken marriages or fostering and adoption.

Lesley is the area co-ordinator for Match, a campaign group wants the laws changed so the person who doesn't care for the children is presumed to have 50 per cent access rights.

At the moment the carer for the children has most of the access.

"I think the laws are archaic," said Lesley, from Boston Avenue. "It's very much as a winner takes all system. We want the law to presume a 50/50 split between the carer and the mum who wants access."

Lesley sees her own two children, seven-year-old Isaac and 12-year-old Rebecca, for one weekend a month.

She suffered a mental breakdown in 2001 and after a two-year court battle her former husband, who lives in Scotland, was given custody of them.

"It's very, very difficult not seeing them," said Lesley "so I make the most of the time when I do have them.

"Obviously, the financial burden of travelling to Scotland is very heavy so I don't actually get to see them once a month.

"I feel as though I am missing out on a lot of the children's lives."

sbailey@worldgroup.co.uk