THE readership of the Daily Echo may soon include distant lifeforms as a snippet of Southampton news has been transmitted into deep space.

The article was sent hurtling across the universe at 6.07am yesterday and has already left our solar system travelling at 670 million miles per hour.

The story that will be travelling through space forever is that of off-duty nurse Pammy Modelly, who came to the rescue when her neighbour's two-yearold son stopped breathing.

It was transmitted into deep space as part of a project by Sent Forever that aims to "eternalise"

everyday heroes.

The Daily Echo article highlighted Pammy's quick thinking in giving Matthew Wing oxygen and a cardiac massage, helping to save his life.

His mum Donna Taylor, who lives next door to Pammy in Mosaic Close, Thornhill, said: "I am really glad they have chosen to send that story up to recognise what Pammy did. She deserves that and so much more.

"She really deserves a medal, not just for what she did but for her whole manner - she is a genuinely wonderful person. It is people like Pammy who make a community."

Pammy said: "I'm very flattered.

I had no idea they could send stories into space like this.

"To be honest I'm just glad I was able to help Matthew - I think Donna has thanked me everyday since."

The story was converted into a digital format at BT's Goon Hilly earth station in Cornwall where a radio dish sent it into space in the form of radio waves.

Chief imagineer of Sent Forever, Chris Thomason, said: "We want to send these stories into space so one day in the future if someone reads them it will show all that is good about mankind.

"It is a way of eternalising people who don't make big headlines but have done something special - an everyday hero."

The company, which was set up in January to transmit greeting messages into space, has selecting stories from a dozen regional papers to go up.