A SCHOOLGIRL, who suffers allergies to both fish and nuts, was given the chance to address MPs at Westminster about her condition.

Destiny Dalby, 7, of Great Owl Road, Chigwell, was among a group of 50 young people invited to talk to parliament's All Party Group for Allergy at Portcullis House.

She said: “My mum and Dad found out that I suffer from a fish and nut allergy, when I was three. Fish is usually easy to avoid, but most chip shops cook fish and chips together.

“Nuts are more difficult to avoid because nuts are in a lots of foods and the labels are not always clear. My school is excellent because it is a nut free zone, but I can have an allergic reaction if someone who has had fish or nuts outside school touches me.

"My most severe reaction is to peanuts. One day my mum’s friend touched my hand after eating peanuts, within minutes I was covered in hives, I became very hot and itchy and thirsty. I felt as if I was going to faint.”

Destiny, a pupil at Bancroft's School, in Woodford Green, ended her speech to her MP audience with an appeal to promote greater awareness of people who suffer from allergies.