Woman devoted to Sri Lanka's ill

The Jaffna Hospice has been set up for cancer sufferers

A retired woman from Surrey who spent years helping cancer patients in Kent is devoting her life to sufferers of the condition in Sri Lanka.

Sadie Skelton used to work at Pembury Hospice in Kent and helped set up a 24-bed hospice in Sri Lanka following her work with victims of the tsunami.

She said: "It was lovely to go back a year later and see the difference."

Ms Skelton has also written a book to help children deal with the effects the tsunami has had on them.

'State of emergency'

The hospice has been built in northern Sri Lanka.

Because of civil unrest in the north of the country Ms Skelton said people were having to travel to the south for treatment.

But even though there is now help in the area she said life is not easy.

"I think they live day to day with the worry of the escalation of war," she said.

There are plans to expand the hospice to include day care and other services.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office said a state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka following civil unrest especially in the north and east.

It said there have been fatal attacks almost on a daily basis.