A DISABLED man who claims he was sexually abused at a Trowbridge care home is battling for compensation.

In a landmark High Court case the Down's Syndrome sufferer, now in his 40s, claims he was the victim of physical, mental and sexual abuse at the hands of a care worker, between 1997 and 1999.

On Wednesday his mother, who cannot be identified, wept as she told the court of her absolute conviction that her son was sexually abused.

Wiltshire County Council, which ran the care home, denies the sexual abuse allegation and is disputing negligence claims.

The care worker at the centre of the sex abuse storm, referred to in court as "C" also denies the claims. He was dismissed from his post after internal disciplinary proceedings.

The victim's mother said she knew her son was telling the truth.

"I am 100 per cent sure my son is telling the truth and could not have fabricated things he had no knowledge of. I do believe my son was telling the truth and he was sexually abused by "C".

"I just straight away knew what he had been through in the past few years. The picture just fitted.

"I'm a mother; I had been told that he had been sexually abused. I had no preconceived ideas about going to the police, starting a court action or anything like that."

Michael Curwen QC, representing "C", asked the mother if she had put suggestions to her son during a two to three hour chat about the revelations.

She replied: "On that day my thoughts were far away from the police, social services, lawyers and all of that. I just had a conversation with him."

Talking about her attitude towards the care home at the centre of the case, the woman said she trusted staff with her son's welfare.

But when the revelations were made, his mother got a copy of the staff rota and made a connection between the dates "C" was sleeping over at the home and her son's unusual behaviour.

Mr Curwen said there were "material inaccuracies" in the homemade chart and it was the mother's mistaken belief that her son had been sexually abused.

The victim's counsel, Elizabeth Gumbel QC, said "C" had been on gardening leave when allegations of abuse were first made in 1999.

Police investigated the allegations but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to press charges.

The victim's sister told the Wiltshire Times in December 2002 how the abuse claims had shattered her family.

"It has had a huge impact on our whole family, particularly my mother. It has had a catastrophic effect on her life."