For the past seven years coeliac Anne Agapiou has been on hand to help a fellow sufferer whenever possible.

And for Daisy Pritchard this has proved invaluable.

Because before the pair met, Daisy, 70, of College Road, Harrow, who was blind from the age of five, was slowly making herself worse.

When they first met, after she was referred to Harrow's support group, Daisy weighed little more than six stone and was desperately ill.

But now, thanks to her hard work, Mrs Agapiou, from Watford Road, Harrow, has put her friend back on the right track. So much so that last week she was given the 'supporting a friend' accolade at the 2008 Coeliac UK Awards.

Mrs Agapiou said: "When you have to deal with a complicated diet it's difficult at the best of times, but when Daisy was first diagnosed, her shopping was left in the hands of staff who can't always be expected to know what a coeliac can and can't eat. Even traces of gluten can leave us very ill.

"When I met her she was very unwell, she weighed nothing and desperately needed to alter her diet.

"It can get frustrating when you go out with a group of friends for pizza or pasta, but it's something we have to deal with."

The condition, which is diagnosed in as many as one in 100 people, can have some severe symptoms ranging from bloating, nausea, tiredness and headaches to weight loss, hair loss, osteoporosis and depression.

So when Mrs Agapiou stepped in to help the pensioner avoid more pain, Daisy was more than happy to nominate her for the award.

She added: "To be honest I felt a little bit guilty taking it, because I have helped her out as a friend.

"It was a lovely thing to do because we get on so well and have become so close, but it has certain-ly not been a duty.

"Reading labels and getting your head around the gluten-free diet is hard enough for a sighted person with coeliac disease, so I was naturally very pleased to help Daisy select the food she needs and witness her condition improve."