Family and friends are rallying to help a two-year-old tot who has been left disabled after contracting E.coli.

Alfie Cairney has been in hospital for six months since being struck down with the devastating illness. Doctors say his kidneys will never function properly again and he will leave hospital severely disabled.

Friends are supporting the family by renovating their home on The Crescent in Hurdsfield to make it suitable for Alfie to live there when he finally leaves hospital.

Local businesses have also donated goods and food to volunteers working on the family’s home.

His mum Bev Russon, 35, has had to give up her job at special needs school The Meadows in order to care for Alfie. She said: “The last six months have been incredibly hard – so many bad things have happened.

“Our whole lives have been turned upside down.

“Before his illness he was just a normal little boy – a cheeky chappy who was always smiling.”

It is not known how Alfie contracted the illness.