A COUPLE from Bidston are at loggerheads with the council over care for their severely disabled son.

Nine-year-old Lewis Clarke suffers from microcephelus and epilepsy and lives with dad Barry, mum Michelle and five-year-old brother Nathan at their home in Worcester Road.

In 2002, his parents asked Wirral’s social services department to build an extension for Lewis, who they have to carry him up and down the stairs whenever he needs a bath or to use the toilet.

They were told that in order for the work to be carried out, they would need to find £10,000. But they could not afford this and were offered a smaller extension, which was eventually built along with a ground-floor shower room for the family to use.

Barry, 28, told the Globe that because of its size the room is now unsuitable and one of the upstairs bedrooms has since been turned into a bathroom.

The work cost him an additional £2,000 and he claims the problems would never had occured if they had been given the extension they originally asked for.

The full-time flagstone layer said: “The room is smaller than we’d expected and unsuitable for Lewis’ needs. As far as I’m concerned the council has done a botched job with the extension.

“I’m having to carry Lewis, soaking wet, from the bath and downstairs to his bedroom every time. Michelle has been diagnosed with a hiatus hernia and told that she can’t lift heavy objects, which makes it difficult if she has to lift Lewis upstairs when I’m not here.

”He now has to sleep in that room and it is freezing. We were offered a smaller home by Wirral Partnership Homes a few years ago, but we don’t want to have to leave our current home, because we live near to our parents. All we want is the extension we originally asked for.”

The couple have also been told by Wirral social services that the care they receive, one day a week, is enough for Lewis.

But Michelle disagrees and said: “All we want is for the council to build a new extension for my son and provide some more care for him.

“We are devastated, because it’s like we’re being discriminated because we’ve got a disabled child. We don’t know what to do next and I’ve phoned everyone I can for help. But nothing is happening.”

A council spokesman said: “The council will continue to support this family and work with them on decisions about how best to meet their son’s changing needs.

“We will also continue to review any support being provided to make sure his needs are met.”