VITAL warnings about the dangers of co-sleeping, which has claimed dozens of infant lives across Lancashire, has been extended to grandparents.

Health bosses have been lobbying for some time to reinforce the risks posed by allowing babies to fall asleep either alongside them or on top of them.

Not only does it increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - but in the worst case scenario youngsters have been suffocated unwittingly by adults rolling over during sleep.

And now the Lancashire Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB), with an increasing number of grandparents assuming childcare responsibilities, has widened their campaign to older generations.

An LSCB spokesman said: "We recognise that grandparents play a key role in caring for their grandchildren and want to ensure the key messages are accessible in order to enable grandparents to support their own children in following the advice in order to provide the safest sleep arrangements as possible."

Leaflets and posters have been produced by the board, which are available through health visitors, and at public locations or surgeries countywide, containing the latest safety information.

Grandparents are also being encouraged to speak to daughters or sons if they have any concerns.

Earlier this year Lancashire assistant coroner James Newman repeated warnings about the dangers of co-sleeping following the death of a two-and-a-half month-old boy from Blackburn, who had been placed on a sofa close to a sleeping adult.

Urgent advice about the perils of co-sleeping appear to be slowly sinking for at-risk groups, according to Lancashire Care NHS Foundation trust figures released last autumn.

In 2015-16, the number of deaths attributed to unsafe sleeping practices was 13 in Lancashire - but this was dropped to eight the following year and only five were recorded during 2017-18.

Lancashire Care has run its own Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood service since 2008.