A NEW website has been launched in Hampshire to link people suffering from illness and their carers with others around the world.

The site's founder, Alan Shepard, was inspired by the plight of his own father Jeffrey, who was forced to retire after 25 years service with Hampshire Police after developing ME (myalgic encephalitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome).

"One of the things he found frustrating at work was that there was nothing you could see physically wrong with him, but he just felt terrible inside. The illness brought him down further and further," recalled psychology graduate Alan, 27, of Lymington.

"He spent the following two years either in bed or sitting in a chair keeping his own company. He searched the internet for like-minded people and found there was no central site where people suffering from illnesses or caring for people suffering from illnesses could communicate.

"Hours of searching provided individual illness sites in all areas but did not hit the spot. All he wanted to do was communicate with other people who had 'been there, done it, and got the t-shirt'."

Alan's younger brother Kevin, 24, has also had ME for five years, so he originally planned to build a website for people with that disease.

But he soon realised the potential value of including other illnesses, especially those that lead to people becoming housebound.

With the help of others, he spent a year developing Mywavelength.com, which was officially launched in October. Designed for ease of use, the site allows an individual to search towns, regions or even countries to make contact with fellow sufferers via email.

"The main thing we do is allow people to meet each other over the net. There's the framework for people to look up their illness, then they can look around the world," explained Alan.

The website also contains links to a host of charities and support groups, with the possibility of posting articles, news on research and developments in treatment. There is even a section where people can find others with similar hobbies and interests - "because they don't always want to talk about their illness," said Alan.

He has pledged that the contact area of the site for sick people will always be free to users. "People need as much support as they can when they are not well," he said.

"Most support groups meet at a local church hall on the first Wednesday of each month, or something along those lines, so if you are not well at that time, you won't see anyone for a couple of months."

Alan's aim is to make Mywavelength.com one of the world's biggest resources for people with illnesses and their carers.

"I think it will take off. It may take a bit of time, but we need to let people know it's there and what we are trying to achieve. The response we've had so far is fantastic. I think we've got something that will be of use to a lot of people."

Now looking after the website full-time, Alan's next step is to find ways of developing it and bringing in income without destroying its ideals. "It's mainly a family concern with specific aims and visions. I don't want to turn it into a commercial venture, but I need to live," he said.