AN AUTISTIC teenager whose special college place was in jeopardy after he was refused a grant by Lancashire County Council has been given new hope.

Social services are to review the case of 16-year-old Timothy Rosen, of Brierfield, and compile a report for a panel which will decide his future.

Although term has started at the residential college in Sunderland where Timothy's family say he needs to go, the body which runs it, European Services for People with Autism (ESPA), is holding his place open until the end of September.

Gordon Coates, the partner of Timothy's mother Kate Rosen, said he was optimistic the county council would reverse its decision not to grant four weeks top-up funding for the 42-week course.

"I'm confident that with the reassesment and all the support we have had from various organisations, including Timothy's physician, speech therapist and ESPA, we can convince them to change their mind," he said.

The bulk of Timothy's course is being funded by the Learning and Skills Council but because of national guidelines, they are only allowed to fund 38-week courses.

ESPA said that in such cases, social services departments from all over the country have paid up the top-up fee, believed to be around £4,000, despite raising initial queries.

Mr Coates, who works at the Sandy Lane site of Accrington and Rossendale College, said the family, of Woodfield Terrace, had been overwhelmed by the response after Timothy's story was featured in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

"We would like to thank everybody for the support they've given us. The phone barely stopped ringing with well-wishers - it's very heartening," he said.

Mr Coates said ESPA carried out a 24-hour assessment of Timothy and produced an eight-page report saying why he needed to go to Ashleigh College in Sunderland.

"When he leaves college, we want him to be independent and the college in Sunderland has specialist staff who can help him achieve that.

"If he went somewhere such as Burnley College he might leave with an academic qualification but not his independence."

Meanwhile, Pendle MP Gordon Prentice has written to the family, pledging his backing and urged the county council to reverse its decision.