OVER £2,000 was raised at a dance organised in memory of a young Melksham man killed by meningitis, taking the total raised to nearly £23,000.

Kieran Smith, 20, died in November 2001 and his parents, Sue and Mike, have been raising money for the Meningitis Trust ever since.

Mrs Smith said: "I can't let Kieran's death be in vain so we have got to try to keep doing something to raise awareness about this disease."

The third annual dance in tribute to their son was held at Melksham House, raising £1,817.

The event was sponsored by Larkin Construction and raffle prizes were donated by businesses in the town.

Mrs Smith said: "Thank you so very much everyone for your generosity and helping us help others with this dreadful disease or those who have gone through the devastation that we have."

When Kieran fell ill he had many symptoms that are associated with meningitis but can also be a sign of other less serious illnesses such as the flu. The telltale rash that is the first thing many people associate with the disease did not appear until it was too late to save his life.

Babies and those in their late teens and early twenties are the most vulnerable to the disease, which produces a variety of symptoms including fever, drowsiness, susceptibility to bright lights, neck stiffness, severe headaches and vomiting.