A COUPLE fear a ten-year-old boy they adopted will kill them unless he receives the special residential care he needs.

But the Darlington family, who cannot be named for legal reasons, say they are trapped in a Catch 22-type situation because the NHS and their local authority cannot agree who is responsible for paying for therapy that could cost tens of thousands of pounds.

They have been appealing for a referral for six months and fear that unless their adopted son is referred to the Keys Attachment Centre, in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, he will soon be beyond recovery.

“The therapy that this centre provides does work,” his adoptive father said.

“I know it is expensive, but when you think of the cost of permanent foster care and then prison, why not spend that money now when he has a better chance of being cured?”

Last night, Jonathan Pearce, director of Adoption UK, which speaks for the parents of adopted children, said the lack of support was “all too common” for adoptive parents and stressed that the couple’s local authority was legally obliged to help them.

The couple, who also adopted the boy’s half-sister and had their own daughter in 2000, feel they have not received adequate support from Darlington social services.

They say they have had only two visits from social services during a three-month period in which the boy’s violent behaviour was at its height.

The boy, who is 11 next week, has:

● Stabbed his adoptive father with a kitchen knife;

●Lunged at him with a jagged tin can;

● Held a teacher hostage with a pair of scissors;

● Attempted to sexually assault his half-sister;

● Set traps by scattering broken glass around the house to try to cut the feet of his siblings;

● Altered the shower so it sprays scalding hot water;

● Issued death threats to the entire family.

The family believes that the boy, who is now with an emergency foster parent, has a rare and severe behavioural condition called reactive attachment disorder.

The couple are convinced he would benefit from the residential treatment offered by Keys.

His adoptive father said: “The treatment he needs costs £3,000 to £4,000 a week. It is a six-month programme where he would be intensively treated and schooled.”

Mr Pearce, of Adoption UK, said: “Sadly, this story is all to common for adoptive families.

It should be the responsibility of Darlington Social Services to make sure their adoption support needs are assessed and catered for.

“It is wrong for them to wash their hands of this adoptive family. There are very clear legal duties under the Adoption and Children Act of 2002 for social services to consider their support needs.”

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council social services said: “The issues raised appear to be health related.

We work closely with health agencies, but cannot comment on their cases”.

A spokeswoman at the Keys Attachment Centre said: “The vast majority of referrals are local authority/social services.

The cost is confidential, but it is much cheaper than the alternative which is usually secure accommodation.”

A Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust spokeswoman said: “We appreciate how difficult this must be for the family and understand they, quite rightly, want the best for their son. We are working closely with social services and the primary care trust to make sure the child gets the care and support he needs.”