MUM Debbie Pearce and her six-month-old son Jake have added their backing to the Daily Echo Keep Them Safe campaign aimed at warning parents of the dangers of sleeping with their babies.

Mother and son are pictured at the Woolston Community Centre, Southampton.

The Daily Echo launched the campaign after it was revealed that eight babies had died in just six months in Hampshire after falling asleep in the same bed as their parents.

It is backed by Southampton Primary Care Trust, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Hampshire police and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID).

Experts say the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a cot in its parents' room for the first six months. Parents should never go to sleep with their baby on a sofa or in an armchair.

For further advice and information call the FSID helpline on 020 7233 2090 or go to www.sids.org.uk/fsid