By Stuart Hughes

MORE than 100 Wirral people campaigning to give terminally ill adults the right to end their lives have petitioned their MP for support.

Wallasey residents sent postcards to Angela Eagle, pictured above right, in support of the ukActNow campaign, which wants to change the law to give terminally ill adults the option to request medical assistance to die if their suffering becomes unbearable.

The euthanasia campaign started with the high-profile legal battle by Diane Pretty, who died last year from Motor Neurone Disease after fighting for the right to receive assistance to die.

Brian Pretty, Diane's husband, said: "Thank you to everyone in Wallasey who supported this campaign. Towards the end, Diane had to go through the one thing she had foreseen and was afraid of going through and there was nothing I could do to help.

"I hope Angela Eagle will reflect the views of the vast majority of local residents and actively press for a change in the law in the House of Commons."

Ms Eagle said: "Like many, I sympathised with the plight of people like Diane Pretty and understood her desire to die with dignity at a time of her own choosing. But I am not sure that there is a widespread consensus that the law on euthanasia should be changed, let alone on how it should be changed.

"Any change to the law which would allow one person, including properly qualified and trained medical personnel, to kill another must be carefully worded and could only come about after the fullest public debate about the safeguards against abuse. I am glad the debate has started."

Julia Millington, ProLife Alliance co-ordinator for the North West, said: "ProLife's position is that we are opposed to any change in the law that would allow any assisted suicides.

"Obviously, there are many reasons for this. But one of the most important is that we see that all life is of value and not determined by the state of health or any other factor.

"As a compassionate society, which I hope we are, we should not see a solution to our problems as being an end to life."