Dorset mum protests over promotion of brain cancer awareness

Sacha Langton-Gilks has been protesting outside the Department of Health and Social Care in London

The mother of a teenager who died of cancer has accused the government of failing to promote awareness of brain tumours in children.

David Langton-Gilks, from Fontmell Magna in Dorset, died after a five year battle with brain cancer.

His mother Sacha has led a decade-long awareness campaign but said there had been "no action" from government.

The Department of Heath said it had "highlighted the values" of her campaign.

David died peacefully at the family's home in 2012 after an aggressive cancer spread from his brain to his spine.

Before his death he helped raise awareness about the symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people.

His tumour took six weeks to diagnose but his parents believed it could have been spotted much earlier.

They started the Headsmart campaign to distribute pocket-sized cards which warn of the signs and symptoms of brain tumours in babies and children.

Mrs Langton-Gilks has been protesting outside the Department of Heath and Social Care in London, accusing successive public health ministers of inaction after promising to write to health officials to ask them to promote awareness of the symptoms.

David died peacefully at home in 2012

"It's utterly tragic that 25 children died from Covid during that first year of lockdown, but unfortunately from brain tumours and sepsis, it's 25 a month.

"There has been no action. The NHS supports these campaigns but the public don't know that.

"Even one tweet during brain tumour awareness month would be great - we've never had that in a decade," she said.

A Department of Health and Social Care statement said: "We welcome the public facing campaign by Headsmart and have highlighted the values of it to Directors of Public Health, health visitors and school nurses."