_{20 June 2012}

Diabetes UK Cymru campaign to reduce limb amputations

A man who narrowly avoided having his foot amputated because of diabetes is backing a charity's awareness campaign.

Diabetes UK says around 330 diabetes sufferers in Wales are forced to go through limb amputation every year.

It wants to encourage sufferers to become aware of the risks and look after their feet.

Dave Jones from Towyn, Conwy, who nearly lost his foot, said his recovery had been slow and painful and had been "completely avoidable".

The publican told how he woke up one morning, to discover that diabetes-related gangrene had turned his foot black overnight.

He was initially told that he'd lose his lower leg, however it was saved by pioneering grafts of skin from his thigh onto the injured foot.

Diabetes UK Cymru say nerve and circulation damage make limb amputations 20 times more prevalent in sufferers of diabetes than amongst the general population.

For more on this story see the BBC News website.