A MOTHER who lost her youngest child to skin cancer is warning others to protect their children in the sun.

Diana Herring, of Latchford, is still devastated by the loss of her son, 10 years on.

Her son, newlywed Ian Herring was only 25 when he noticed that a mole on his leg had changed colour and texture. Concerned, he visited his GP who referred him to a consultant.

A biopsy confirmed his worst fear - the mole was cancerous. And it was the most serious form of skin cancer - malignant melanoma.

The mole was removed along with surrounding skin so that doctors could check to see if the cancer had spread. It hadn't, and Ian was given the all-clear.

But three years later the melanoma returned. It had started on the surface of his skin and travelled inwards attacking his internal organs. Four months later he was dead. Mrs Herring blames herself for allowing Ian to sit in the sun as a baby and says that her guilt can never be taken away.

She said: "It's too late for me to learn but I have to warn other mums about the dangers of keeping babies and children in the sun.

"When Ian was small a tanned baby was thought of as a healthy baby and, although he'd have a canopy over his head, the rest of his body was exposed to the sun.

"Now, research has shown that exposure to the sun in early childhood can result in skin cancer later in life."

She adds: "I was a sun worshipper and because I was out all the time in it, Ian was with me.

"The guilt of that will stay with me forever.

"Ian wasn't an outdoors person but as an adult he went on sunshine holidays abroad and I believe that the skin cancer he developed in childhood had lain dormant until he came into contact with strong sun again later in life and that triggered it.

"It is vital that other mums take heed of this advice if they don't want to carry the burden of guilt that I carry.

"Our children can't protect themselves, they depend on their parents so please keep babies and toddlers covered up in the sun and find a safe sunscreen.

"We all need a little bit of sunshine but don't overdo it. Prevention is better than cure."

l The majority of melanomas occur on the head, neck, arms, legs and back. Most are very dark or black, but can sometimes be lighter brown or speckled. The surface is usually raised and sometimes rough. They are not normally circular, but some can be quite close to a circle. In their early stages, they often look like a mole, but with a ragged outline or different shades of colour in it. Sometimes, they appear to be a mole that is bleeding, oozing or crusty. The most important thing is that melanomas usually change shape or colour as they grow. Any spot that changes colour or shape should be reported to your doctor.