A DESPERATE Melksham woman whose 14-year-old son is due to be released from a secure unit next month believes her child will resume a life of violence and drug-running if he is not given help.

The 34-year-old mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is dreading the release of her son from a Bristol secure unit and says she feels let down by Wiltshire County Council's social services and education departments for repeatedly failing to provide the help her son needs.

Despite social services getting involved three years ago, the teenager still hasn't been statemented a process to draw up an appropriate educational package.

The mother said she was forced to put her son into care last year, as she was unable to cope with his violent behaviour anymore.

He has attended nine foster placements in less than a year.

In court earlier this year, he was sentenced to six months in a secure unit for two assaults.

She said: "The excuses I have been given for my son not to be statemented include the fact he has not been in one place long enough, or they don't have enough evidence.

"It is the system which is wrong. They don't need any more evidence.

"If he had been statemented at the age of nine we would not have had half this trouble and he would have the help he needs."

The boy's mother believes a care-based package, which her son was placed on by social services before going to the secure unit, was perfect for his needs.

But social services have now asked education officers to find her son a placement in another residential school by the time he is discharged.

John Matthews, head of family and children at social services, said: "We believe he needs a residential placement which has staffing levels to meet his needs.

"If we can't find him a school by the time he is discharged we guarantee to find him a placement."