A DISTRAUGHT mother from Farnworth is begging social services to take her "out-of-control" 12-year-old son off her hands. The mother of three, who cannot be named to protect the boy's identity, says her son's problems began when he started at a local secondary school. "He just changed overnight. From being an ordinary little boy who was naughty in the normal sense he's just gone completely out of control."

Over the past few months she says the boy has been suspended from school for throwing a brick at a teacher, he's been caught taking drugs, he's stolen money from his mother, run away from home and slept rough, and most frighteningly for his mum, he's been walking the streets armed with an air rifle.

"I'm frightened to death that he'll snap and either harm himself or do something awful to someone else," she said.

"It's not that I don't want him - I just believe he needs help. I've tried everything but when I ground him he just escapes through the window." The mother says her fears about her son taking his own life stem from an incident several months ago.

"I'd shouted at him for nothing in particular and he went upstairs with his younger brother. He then got a wire from his computer and wrapped it around his neck and started pulling. He was going blue and my younger son was so hysterical he wet himself.

"I just ran upstairs and dragged him out but it really shook us all up."

The mum, who is separated from her 12-year-old son's father, claims that all attempts to discipline the boy have failed.

"He just swears at me if I ask him to do anything and if you ask him why he's done something awful he just says "I don't know" or "I don't want to talk about it". "I'm really at my wits end and there doesn't seem to be anyone out there willing to help. He's only 12 years old and he's just sinking lower and lower and I don't know how to stop it."

She also alleges that her son's behaviour is breaking up her family and she fears that her partner for the past nine years will leave.

"The minute he comes in the house there's trouble. My partner cannot understand his behaviour and I feel that he will only take so much.

The boys are suffering too. I can't let them out if their older brother's in the street as he batters them and the youngest one has started to wet the bed with all the turmoil."

She went on: "He's big for his age and he does frighten me sometimes. He's not actually been violent to me but I can see that being the next stage. "Nobody seems to be able to help us. The police and social services have all been involved at some stage but they just seem to have washed their hands of him.

Andy Robertson, assistant director of Bolton's social services, told the BEN: "Obviously we do know the family and situations like this are never straightforward. We have had and will continue to have a lot of involvement. We are working with the family as best we can and will keep the situation under review.

"We have not washed our hands of the family and we have had very recent contact with the mother. We will do whatever we can to help with the situation."

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