Scientists could soon hold the key to curing the deadly Sars virus which is sweeping the globe.

The daughter of a teacher at Stonar School near Melksham has been playing her part in the search for ways to tackle the killer disease.

Working at a laboratory in Vancouver, Canada, Dr Rebecca Devon has been examining the virus's genetic make-up to learn more about its strengths and weaknesses.

Her mum, Elizabeth, who lives in Box, is pleased that her daughter has had a part to play but is worried about her safety because of the outbreak of Sars in Toronto. Nobody knows how many more people will die from the disease and the World Health Organisation seems to be continually changing its mind on how dangerous the virus actually is. While there is this uncertainty, the round-the-clock research has to continue. But despite the amount of resources that are being pumped into finding a cure, there are still questions to answer over the handling of the outbreak.

The world was stunned by the initial cover up of the figures and we are left wondering why they are still letting people from infected countries into Britain. Let us hope a cure is found soon because nobody wants a plague of Biblical proportions.