A FATHER is fighting for better access to new drugs which could potentially extend the life of his nine-year-old son.

Liam Chadwick's son Liam has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which causes muscles to weaken and waste away.

A potential treatment for the condition was given conditional approval for the first time last month but Liam fears a lack of funding and red-tape may cause major delays in the treatments reaching his son.

Liam, 29, of Hawthorne Crescent, Dodworth, said Liam currently takes steroids to help improve his muscle strength but he struggles to walk long distances or climb stairs.

Liam was diagnosed with the condition when he was eight.

Liam is supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Fast Forward initiative to speed up access to potential treatments.

He added: "The sooner treatments are available the less irreversible damage will be done. It's a race against time."

The campaign has been launched following a report by MPs on access to high-cost drugs which revealed hundreds of children could face long waits because of changes to the way rare disease drugs are funded and assessed.

** The full story appears in the Barnsley Chronicle, dated September 5. **