A SIX-year-old boy nearly died of cancer after he was sent home from the doctors with paracetamol.

Samuel Lawson had lost a lot of weight and his stomach was swollen and hard when his grandma took him to Pollock and Partners Surgery, Park Grove, in May last year.

He was prescribed paracetamol and dehydration tablets for a suspected virus but was fighting for his life at Sheffield Children's Hospital two weeks later.

"It was touch and go for about three days," said mum Ceres Wicinski of Agnes Road, Barnsley.

"You could tell it was serious from the doctors' faces and I remember one saying 'You have got a very sick child here.'

Dad Adam, 30, said Samuel was now recovering well and looking forward to going back to Locke Park Primary.

Full story in all editions of this week's Chronicle.