THE partner of a terminally ill man has launched a desperate appeal to try to find his locally-based brother in a bid to save his life.

Neil Phillips, 39, was diagnosed with leukaemia just a week ago and is currently being treated at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Doctors have told him he will need a bone marrow transplant in the next few months to save his life.

But Mr Phillips' only hope of a match is his older brother, Christopher, with whom he has lost touch.

Mr Phillips' partner of four years, Helen Jones, from Salford, Manchester, is now desperately trying to trace Christopher, 53, whose last known address was Florence Road in Parkstone, Poole.

She said: "Christopher was born in the Kingston area of London. We know that he used to be in the Army. He served in Northern Ireland and Germany and he was in the Red Devils parachute regiment but he left about seven or eight years ago.

"We think he left Poole about December time and moved to Greece or Spain but we think his two daughters, Joanna and Catherine, who we believe are married, still live in the Poole area and do catering for a holiday camp in Poole."

The brothers lost touch after their mother, Audrey, died when Neil was just two. Their father, Frederick, then moved from the family home in Kingston to Wrexham in North Wales, taking Neil with him.

The brothers did not grow up together and eventually lost contact.

Miss Jones, 27, said: "We are really desperate to find Neil's brother. He's got to have lots of treatment, but the doctors want us to find his brother now so he can have tests to see if he's a match.

"Neil definitely needs this bone marrow transplant. It's going to be a little while yet, but we need to know now if Christopher is a match."

Anyone who knows where Christopher or any of the family members may be should call the Daily Echo on 01202 675413.