Families in Pewsey are rallying round to help the family of schoolboy Charlie Charles, 11, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Charlie, who has had health problems since Christmas, has already had one operation to remove the tumour. But his family say that the tumour is so aggressive that it grew back again within about two weeks.

On Tuesday Charlie underwent surgery to insert tubes so that chemotherapy can be applied straight to the growth. The tumour and surgery has affected Charlie’s ability to speak.

Charlie’s mother Teresa Charles has taken unpaid leave from her work as a post woman to stay at her son’s bedside at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

Her partner, Alan Perren, said she has only returned to her home in Wilcot Road, Pewsey, three times in the last five weeks.

Mr Perren, the caretaker at Pewsey Vale School, spends every afternoon and evening with Mrs Charles and Charlie in hospital.

Families who know Charlie , his mother and his his father Kenny Peberdy-Feuillebois, who lives in Marlborough, are rallying round to help pay the family’s travel costs from Pewsey to the hospital where Charlie has been for the past five weeks.

Mr Perren said that, when Charlie began feeling sick just after Christmas, doctors suggested keep a watch on him but did not think it was anything to worry about.

Then Charlie began getting bad headaches and, suspecting he had a problem with his vision, his mother took him to Pewsey optician Sue Hussey five weeks ago.

An eye test showed an abnormality behind Charlie’s eyes and he was referred back to his GP and then to a consultant in GWH where it was discovered he had a brain tumour which had spread into his brain stem.

Mr Perren said: “They operated to take some of it away but it was so aggressive it grew back again within about two weeks.”

He said Charlie was a brave little lad who was not complaining. “He is soldiering on,” said Mr Perren.

Donations towards the appeal to help the family can be left at the Royal Oak pub in North Street.