FOUR years after receiving the last rites, a young road accident victim will tomorrow return home to the parents who never gave up hope that he would recover.

Stuart Nevins, who suffered massive brain injuries in a car crash, is preparing to bid farewell to the Hawthorns Neuro Rehabilitation Centre in Peterlee, County Durham, which has been his home for two years.

The nightmare began for Mr Nevins, now 21, who comes from Scarborough, on Halloween in October 2001, when he got into a car for a drive with four friends.

The vehicle was travelling on the A165 Filey to Scarborough road when it was involved in a head-on collision.

Mr Nevins, who was then a teenager, was one of the back seat passengers.

One of his friends walked away with cuts and bruises but Gary Westwood, Eddie Nicholson and Chris Jones, all of whom were 17, were killed in the smash.

Maureen Hope, 55, who was driving the other car, also died in the crash.

After the collision, Mr Nevins was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where he spent five weeks in intensive care.

At one point, it looked unlikely he would survive and he received the Last Rites.

But Mr Nevins survived and was eventually moved to a stroke unit in Scarborough, where he stayed for seven months before being funded by Scarborough Primary Care Trust to go to an NHS rehabilitation centre in Newcastle for a further year.

His mother, Pauline Nevins, said: "There is nothing in our area for people like Stuart and it is thanks to a Headway nurse in Hull that we heard about Hunters Moor Rehab Centre, in Newcastle, where he did really well for a year.''

Once he was ready to leave the NHS facility, Mr Nevins' family began the task of finding him a more social environment.

Mrs Nevins said: "We must have looked at between eight and ten different places before a family relative told us of a place she had heard of in Peterlee.

"We knew once we visited The Hawthorns that this was the place for Stuart.

"It had a really nice feel about it.''

As she prepared for his return, Mrs Nevins said: "We were told he probably wouldn't survive, so you can imagine how happy we all are to see him finally coming home.''

Mr Nevins remains mainly wheelchair-bound and can only walk a few steps with the assistance of physiotherapist and a walking frame.

He cannot talk properly and uses a writing device and sign language to communicate.

Although he can now swallow, it takes him about two hours to eat a meal.

Despite his tremendous progress he will always have significant impairments in cognition and behaviour.

On the eve of his departure, rehabilitation centre manager at The Hawthorns, Alison Langthorne, paid tribute to Mr Nevins and the support offered by his family.

She said: "Stuart's success story is down to sheer determination on his part, his family and a very dedicated team of staff and therapists. We will miss him very much."

A care package has been put in place for him when he returns home.