A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy from Redbourn battling an extreme strain of epilepsy is desperately hoping for a dietary treatment to put an end to his suffering.

Since James Trayling was diagnosed with epilepsy, aged three, he has suffered at least 30 seizures a day, crippling his abilty to lead a normal life.

According to James's dad, Geoff, of Coopers Meadow, health bosses do not have enough staff to supervise a diet treatment and he fears a severe attack may kill his son before it can be administered.

"James has to suffer for six to eight months before he can get the diet treatment," Geoff said. "This is not slight suffering, this has a direct impact on his life. For a seven-year-old kid, eight months is a long time to wait.

"The seizures can last up to 30 seconds. He'll lose focus, lose track of what he's doing and he will have to start all over again - it's not a good quality of life.

"We have a baby monitor in James's room, wherever we go we can listen in on James. We are always on alert - inevitably it restricts your life."

Doctors have prescribed James, a pupil at Southfield School in Hatfield, a range of anti-convulsion drugs, but none has been effective.

The ketogenic diet, which substitutes carbohydrates for protein and fats, has been used for more than 80 years to control seizures in children, but needs supervision by a trained nutritionist.

Geoff said: "If we can reduce his seizures by 90 per cent as the diet will offer, we are going to get James back. That's about the biggest gift we could ask for."