THE mother of an autistic youngster who is being sent all the way to a South Yorkshire residential school at a cost of almost £4,000 a week has called for more special schools in York.

Liam Brunskill, 12, of Clifton Moor, will attend Wilsic Hall, in Doncaster, from September.

His mother, Mandy, said it was "heartbreaking" to know Liam would be so far away from his family, and City of York Council should pour the £1,947,728 spent caring for and educating youngsters away from the city into creating better facilities closer to home.

Mandy said she would not be able to see Liam for three weeks when he starts at Wilsic Hall, and she has made a picture book to help him understand what will happen.

He currently enjoys being schooled in a small class of autistic children at Lidgett Grove, in York.

"I've hit rock bottom with it all," said Mandy. "We had to fight tooth and nail just to get respite for him, but now we've got to the point where he's too big for us to have him at home any more and we worry about taking him out because of what might happen - he's so unpredictable and can run into the road.

"He's used to me doing everything for him and it will be such a big change for him and for us. It will be heartbreaking not being able to see him for so long."

Mandy said she felt let down by the authority. "The money would be a lot better spent in York," she said. "There's a need for a new facility and York is big enough to have one.

"You bring your child in York, raise them in York, bring them into the community and then get told there is nowhere for them to go and money will be spent to send them out of the city. It's terrible."

Updated: 11:04 Tuesday, August 03, 2004