A young mum, who suffers from a rare skin disorder that leaves her body covered in painful boils, has set up a charity to help raise awareness of the condition.

Tara Burton, from Chatham, was just 22 years old when she first discovered three boils in her groin area.

Believing it was an infection, her doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics, but when the boils began to weep and cause extreme pain she decided to investigate. After looking up her symptoms online, Tara stumbled upon details of a rare and incurable disease – Hidradenitis suppurativa.

She took the information to her GP who agreed to refer her to a skin specialist. Four months later, Tara was seen by a dermatologist who confirmed she had the condition.

Antibiotics and hormone treatments are meant to help keep HS under control, but over the past three years, Tara’s condition has worsened. Boils have developed all over her body, leaving the 27-year-old mother of twin girls in constant pain.

She said: “I can’t even play and have fun with my children. They can’t run up to me and hug me or sit on my knee, which is hard for me.”

Tara, who has had to give up her job as an accounts assistant because of the condition, has set up the charity British Association for Hidradenitis Suppurativa (BAHS).

She said: “HS affects about one per cent of the UK population and it can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives.

“The condition can be easily misdiagnosed so when I was finally diagnosed I joined an internet support group which had just 200 members.

“It was that group which inspired me to set up a charity to raise awareness of the condition and provide support for those affected by HS.”