TV COMEDIAN Dave Spikey backed our Guardian Angels appeal while taking centre stage in York.

Dave, well known as Peter Kay's sidekick Jerry "The Saint" St Clair in Phoenix Nights, performed at the Grand Opera House while supporting Jeans For Genes day, which funds research into children affected by genetic disorders.

Dave said he remembered problems with paediatric care from his days working in a hospital haematology department in Bolton.

"I wholeheartedly support any increase in acute services for children," he said.

"If you haven't got proper facilities locally then you get all the trauma and problems associated with transferring children to a unit elsewhere.

"Everyone should be treated on their doorstep, but especially children because they're more fragile and less resilient."

Although none of his own family had needed paediatric high dependency care, Dave said he knew how important good facilities were.

"I'm very fortunate, but I know it does happen all the time, and you hear about how children have been taken in an ambulance from hospital to hospital until a bed is found.

"Guardian Angels is a very worthwhile cause and should help to make a big difference to children in the area."

Jeans For Genes raises money for research into serious and often life-threatening genetic disorders, providing laboratory equipment and advice and support for families.

Updated: 09:56 Wednesday, October 12, 2005