A YORK couple have paid tribute to their brave daughter who died after being struck for the second time by the devastating disease meningitis.

Five-year-old Chloe Williams became very ill only hours after returning from a family holiday to Blackpool with her parents Rob and Andrea, and brother Scott, seven.

She died three days later in Leeds General Infirmary.

The Acomb Primary School pupil suffered with meningococcal septicaemia - a bacterial form of meningitis together with blood poisoning - last year, but made a complete recovery.

According to doctors it is extremely unusual to suffer from the disease twice.

This time round the couple, who live in Danebury Drive, Acomb, said they were extra cautious and Chloe was quickly taken to York Hospital.

Andrea, 32, said: "She had no marks or any rash, but the doctor said to take her to hospital to be on the safe side. Then within minutes of getting to hospital they rushed her into the treatment room - it all happened really quickly.

"She became stable and they transferred her to Leeds and she seemed to be picking up, but then she very quickly went downhill, it just riddled her body."

The couple described Chloe as an energetic and vibrant child who enjoyed school and loved football and ballet.

Andrea said: "She was quite boyish in a way, she loved football, she watched the Michael Owen video more than Scott.

"But she also loved her teddies and toys, Barbie and pink girlie things.

"She was very energetic and she took pride in how she looked - she knew her own mind."

The family had enjoyed a week in Blackpool, where Chloe sang karaoke on her own in front of a crowd and also had her first ride on a donkey.

Andrea, who like Rob, 33, is partially-sighted, said Chloe also suffered from a genetic eye condition, but she did not let that stop her getting on with life.

Andrea said: "At school they said that to look at her getting about you wouldn't think she had any problem, she was probably more confident than the others and was more likely to be leading her friends around the playground than the other way round."

Chloe suffered from strain B of the disease, for which there is no vaccine.

Her close family were given a dose of antibiotics as a precaution, but most cases of the disease occur in isolation.

The bacteria that causes the disease is carried by one-in-ten people, although most will never suffer symptoms.

Chloe's funeral takes place at York Crematorium on Friday.

Contact 24 hour helplines are run by the Meningitis Trust on 0845 6000800 or the Meningitis Research Foundation on 0808 8003344.

Updated: 10:47 Wednesday, August 20, 2003