STUDENT nurses in the North-East are living on such low income that some are forced to work at fast food restaurants to make ends meet.

And yesterday the angels gathered in force at the Angel of the North to begin their fight to restore student salaries.

Until 1989, a student nurse used to get around £10,000 a year along with employment rights, but now they are handed only £4,000 and only have student status.

Single mother Ruth Whalley, 21, who works at North Tyneside Hospital, described how she was forced to take on a job at McDonald's in Newcastle to supplement the monthly £380 bursary she had to survive on.

Ruth, who decided to dedicate her life to nursing after being impressed by the care she was given while having a kidney operation as a child, said: "I had no other choice. I was paying a full rent and was not entitled to income support or family credit.

"And, because of the pressures of studies, I could only work in McDonald's at the weekend.

"When I worked during breaks I got more money in two weeks than I did in a whole month with my bursary."

Ruth, who had to give up her fast food job after 18 months because of the growing demands of her course, said: "A quarter of trainees drop out in the first year because of work financial hardship. If the Government is serious about attracting more people it is going to have to reinstate student salaries."

The Government has pledged to address nurses' wages, but according to Charlie Syme from the health service union Unison the problem lies at training level.

He said: "If the Government wants to improve the health services it needs to deal with the problem at the source.

"If students do not come through the training, the health service will be left in tatters."

Students from all over the region gathered, who gathered yesterday at the Tyneside monument to highlight their plight, began collecting signatures for their petition which will be handed to Health Secretary Alan Milburn in September.

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