A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy, who has had to learn to walk again after his leg was amputated because of a cancerous bone tumour, has opened a cancer support centre.

Josh Mann, from Spennymoor, County Durham, and his parents, Carolyn and Jason, were the guests of honour at the opening of the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre, in Bishop Auckland Hospital, yesterday.

When Josh was aged threeand- a half, he was one of the youngest children in the UK to suffer from the rare bone cancer.

His parents were faced with the dilemma of whether to agree to the amputation of his left leg or to risk the cancer spreading.

Following a course of chemotherapy, Josh, who is a pupil at Middlestone Moor School, near Spennymoor, had his operation in February 2009.

He has a prosthetic leg fitted and is now in remission.

Mrs Mann said: “Josh is doing absolutely brilliantly – he’s an amazing boy.

“He is doing really, really well at school and just joins in with everything.”

In spite of a few ongoing problems, Josh is also able to join in with games in the playground.

His parents both gave up work to look after Josh, and Macmillan Cancer Support was able to help with grants to pay for household items and to help with fuel bills.

Mrs Mann said: “The support we got was amazing. You don’t know quite how much difference the charity makes until you are in the position we were in. It was such a great cause.”

The cancer support centre at Bishop Auckland Hospital has a range of materials on different cancers, treatments and related subjects.

There is also a bra clinic for women who have had a mastectomy, and a service to help people who have lost their hair find bandanas and scarves.

Macmillan Information Centre manager Bernadette Measures said: “We hope that local people affected by cancer will come along to the centre for a chat to see what’s on offer and to see how we may be able to help.”

The free advice centre is in the outpatients department and is open from 10am to 4pm, from Monday to Friday.