INDEPENDENCE is wheel-y great! Nine-year-old Gregory Rothwell, of Frobisher Drive, St Annes, who featured in The Citizen recently with a novel way of getting to school, now has a battery powered scooter all of his own.

The youngster is often unable to walk because he has a rare disease which causes painful blisters on his hands and feet. And to get him to school, his mum Sandra has been driving him in a mobility mini-car.

But now he is able to drive himself to school on his own scooter and ride alongside the family on weekend walks.

Gregory's mum Sandra said: "By sheer chance we came across a totally portable battery powered scooter that would enable Gregory to go to school, supervised by me, in his own vehicle.

"It also gets round the weekend problem when our family of four want to go out together. The scooter is only 20 kilos in weight and can easily fit into the boot of my husband's car, and so its eight mile range is limitless. This gives Gregory independence and avoids him having to be pushed around in his buggy."

And the family thanked the Cleveleys woman, who they named only as Joan, who sold them the scooter for "a very reasonable" price.