THE family of terminally-ill Charlotte Wakeham, the eight-year-old girl who has an inoperable brain tumour, are appealing for someone who has ponies to help them fulfil her last wish.

Charlotte's health has deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks and her family fear she has just a few weeks left to live.

Charlotte's grandmother, Wendy Bryant, of Devizes, said: "Charlotte's health is now plummeting fast. She can't walk anymore and she has trouble swallowing."

She added: "We are trying to arrange trips out for her. Charlotte loves ponies and she said to me she would like to see some ponies.

"Charlotte won't be able to ride a pony but just being around them would make her dream come true. She is pony mad and she said to me 'I would just like to be surrounded by ponies.'"

If anyone has ponies and would be willing to let Charlotte visit please call Ms Bryant on (01380) 727130.

Charlotte, who lives in Westbury with her parents, Alison and Bill, and younger brother, Leigh, is continuing to take chloripramine, an anti-depressant drug, which the family believe did help in reducing Charlotte's brain tumour earlier this year.

But since early July they believe the tumour has grown bigger and apart from the chloripramine there is no other treatment suitable for her.

Ms Bryant has trawled the Internet looking for alternative drug trials that may aid Charlotte.

But she has now come to the reluctant conclusion that there is nothing that can be done for her granddaughter. Charlotte confounded the medics, as their original prognosis in May 2002 said she had four months to live.