A NEWPORT mother who has motor neurone disease is fighting to ensure her disabled son has “safe transport” to college.

Amanda Merrett, of Moore Crescent, Ringland, has voiced her frustration that her attempts to arrange “safe transport” for her 19-year-old autistic son, Ieuan, to go to Cross Keys College have so far failed.

“He’s autistic and has an underlying genetic condition,” said Mrs Merrett. “He needs 24 hour care.

“He had been going to Maes Ebbw School but finished last week.

“He’s due to go to college to study life skills but we haven’t been able to arrange transport for him.”

The 39-year-old said that given she was diagnosed with motor neurone disease – which damages the nervous system – in February it was now important to sort-out the travel issues while she was “still able to”.

She said: “It knocked me for 10 when I was told I had it. I used to do everything because my husband used to work full-time but now he’s caring for me. I now have mobility problems.

“Ieuan is not able to catch a bus because of his autism.

“Really he needs to be picked up from outside our house and taken to college. He needs a regular routine to follow.

“We’ve never asked for anything but we desperately need this.”

She added: “I’ve been calling social services asking for special transport but nothing’s happened yet.”

Mrs Merrett's husband, Darren, said: “We’ve told social services about it lots of times and they’ve done nothing. I won’t be able to take my step-son because I can’t leave Amanda alone.

“Social services told us that they want to do a care assessment on me.

“There are other children on the estate who get picked up by transport arranged by social services and they won’t do it for us.

“It’s disgusting.”

Mrs Merrett added: “Ieuan has always been let down by the system. I want social services to sort this out for my son.”

A spokeswoman from Coleg Gwent said: “Special requests for transportation are dealt with only by local authorities and is not an area in which the college has any influence or control.”

Newport City Council was contacted for comment.