A FORMER mental patient's claim that he was cured by Mother Teresa of Calcutta has been accepted by those campaigning to make her a saint.

Norman Imms, 57, from Peterlee, County Durham, believes his meetings with the charity worker helped him overcome serious mental illness.

Mr Imms had been plagued by psychiatric problems, but after being put in touch with Mother Teresa's Indian mission by his GP, Dr Joseph Chandy, he never looked back.

Three years ago Dr Chandy wrote to Sister Nirmala, Mother Teresa's successor in Calcutta, saying he firmly believed his patient had been miraculously cured.

Now the Missionaries of Charity - the order founded by Mother Teresa - has confirmed that Mr Imms' recovery from mental illness was one of about 600 "favours" officially attributed to the Albanian-born nun.

Speaking from Rome, Father Brian, of the Missionaries of Charity, said details of Mr Imms' experience, together with claims that Mother Teresa performed between ten and 20 miracles in India, had been passed to the committee of theologians considering whether to recommend Mother Teresa for sainthood.

Their recommendation will be considered by cardinals and bishops. The final decision will be taken by the Pope.

Mr Imms, who met the nun ten times and received 32 letters from her, said: "Mother Teresa was a wonderful person who did so much good for the poor of India.