A PARISH council has become the first to sign up to a charter pledging to support employees with terminal illnesses.

After agreeing to sign up to the TUC’s Dying to Work charter in October, Brandon and Byshottles Parish Council officially made the pledge this week.

The campaign is aimed at getting organisations to pledge to support their employees should they be diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Parish clerk Susan Carmedy said: “It was put to a council meeting and they agreed to support the campaign to give as much help as possible if one of its employees becomes terminally ill. Apparently we are the first parish council in the country to sign up to it though I think others are now looking at it.

“Obviously some people will want to leave work but there may be some who don’t and they would be in a vulnerable position.”

The campaign is calling for terminal illness to be made a protected characteristic of employment.

The parish council has three employees – a clerk, officer and cleaner.