MANY children of divorced and separated parents are facing a miserable Christmas, according to a Lancashire support organisation.

The Lancashire Family Mediation Service claims thousands of children from broken homes are unhappy about arrangements to see their parents over the holiday period.

The service, based in Preston, is offering advice to parents on how to ease family tensions at Christmas.

An advice pack is available from National Family Mediation, to which the Lancashire group is affiliated.

Topics covered include how parents can put together "parenting plans" to agree arrangements over the holidays, as well as everyday problems such as who looks after pets and what happens about schooling.

A spokesperson for NFM said: "Christmas is often fraught with problems for children of parents who are divorced and separated.

Our message is to make this a happy Christmas for them - by trying to sort out arrangements as amicably as possible."

Brian Gray, manager of the Lancashire Family Mediation Service, added: "It's not just at Christmas when divorcing or separating parents need to make arrangements for contact with the children - it's all year round.

"Our aim is to help parents agree between themselves what best suits them and their children."

The advice pack is available for £5.50, including postage and packing, from National Family Mediation at 9 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9NS, telephone 0171 383 5993.

The Lancashire Family Mediation Service can be contacted on 01772 204248.

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