THE DEATHS of eight babies in Hamsphire has inspired a campaign to warn mums of the dangers of sleeping with baby.

New posters have gone up publicising the Daily Echo's Keep Them Safe campaign. The message is simple - the best place for baby to sleep is in its cot not in the armchair, mum's bed or on the sofa.

Jan Cassarp, a nurse at Shirley Walk-In Centre is pictured here putting up the latest poster warning parents about the dangers of sleeping with baby. The Southampton Primary Care Trust is just one of the organisations backing the campaign.

Dr David Paynton is the trust's head of primary and community care, and a practising local GP with many years experience of dealing with the issues surrounding cot death. He said: "We are always keen to raise awareness of the possible dangers of co-sleeping. This campaign is an excellent initiative and we are very pleased to be supporting it."

The campaign was launched after it was revealed that eight babies had died in just six months in Hampshire after falling asleep in the same bed as their parents. The campaign is also backed by Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Hampshire police and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death (FSID). Already posters have gone up on the maternity wards at the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton and mother and toddler groups have also backed the campaign by displaying posters.

The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a cot in your room for the first six months. You should never sleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair.

There is also a risk that you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate baby or that your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed or could roll out of an adult bed. For advice and information call the FSID Helpline on 020 7233 2090 or go to www.sids.org.uk/fsid.

If your group or organisation would like to display some posters call Kate Thompson on 023 8042 4761 or e-mail kate.thompson@soton-echo.co.uk