Blackpool policeman Ian's thanks after prayers for his poorly son

PC Ian Ashton, who has worked in Blackpool for nine years, was desperately worried when his son Oliver, who already has a serious illness, was taken to hospital with a bad chest infection just before New Year.

Oliver, 21, has the rare condition coffin siris syndrome, which has a number of symptoms including respiratory problems and learning difficulties.

Because Oliver, who needs to be fed with a tube, has serious breathing issues, any severe chest infection can be dangerous to him and he spent 11 days in Royal Preston Hospital, where he had to be given oxygen.

Happily he made a recovery and came back to his home in Preston on January 8.

In the midst of this family crisis, members of Blackpool's Jewish communities offered up prayers for Oliver.

Ian, 49, who is Blackpool's community cohesion and hate crime officer, said: "This was such a lovely gesture and myself and Oliver's mum, Yvette, really appreciated it.

"Oliver needs 24 hour care so something like this hit him for six and obviously we were worried about the dangers of Covid.

"I work with the community in Blackpool, including the Jewish community, and that's probably why they picked up that Oliver was ill.

"They know me but they don't know Oliver, so it was an lovely thought from them.

"It just shows you that when you take away the uniform and we're one big community.

"At times like this, when people are worried about Covid, the whole community has come together."

Ian lives in Preston and has been a police officer for 27 years, but with almost a decade in Blackpool he enjoys his links to the local community in the resort.

Rachel Tax, vice president of the Blackpool Reform Jewish Synagogue, based on Raikes Parade, said: "Ian is the liaison officer for the different faiths in Blackpool, it's a job he does so well and he's a lovely guy.

"When we heard his son Oliver was seriously ill we were delighted to include him in our prayers."

The lockdown has hit all the faith centres hard but Rachel said services for her 60-strong congregation had now gone online, and as a result there had been an increase in those being able to attend the services on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, from their own homes..

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