MUM Becky Miles, who has been living with multiple sclerosis for ten years, is to set up a support group in Devizes after realising there is a need for sufferers to have a chance to meet up.

She is organising a coffee morning at Devizes Bowls Club on February 22 from 10am to noon with support from Salisbury district group of the MS Society to launch her club.

Ms Miles, 36, who grew up in Devizes and is a former pupil of Devizes School, was diagnosed after she started having symptoms when her daughter Lilia Cox, 11, was a baby. She began to suffer numbness in her right leg and noticed she needed to lean on the pram when she took her daughter for a walk.

She was eventually diagnosed after a lumbar puncture was taken at Southampton General Hospital in 2009. She said: "It was a strange feeling when I was told. I felt like I was in limbo and didn't know what to expect."

The first drugs she was given did not work for her but she was later put on Tysabri which has helped her not get any new symptoms. She said: "My original symptoms are progressing but I have not had any relapses."

She has to go to Southampton every month for a transfusion of the drug which leaves her feeling weak and tired but tries to live as normal a life as possible with the support of her daughter who is a pupil at Trinity Primary School.

She said: "I am very proud of Lilia. She does things to help me but I don't want her to do too much."

Lilia said: "I like helping my mum. We do lots of things together."

Ms Miles, who lives near Windsor Drive, has had to give up her job with Aster. But she is able to drive an adapted car and makes herself get out as much as she can including taking the family dog for regular walks.

She said: "A friend of mine with MS has a stair lift but I won't use it and don't want one. I prefer to use two handrails to help pull myself up stairs."

She is now using her energy to start the support group which she believes is badly needed. She said: "Since I put a post on Facebook I have had a number of people contacting me who are very keen to be involved.

"At the coffee morning I will be asking people what they want from the group and then take it from there."

Emma Johnson a volunteer with the Salisbury group said: "We are delighted that Becky is doing this and we will support her as much as possible."

Email Ms Miles on beckycox10@hotmail.co.uk for more information.