A YOUNG North-East autistic boy has been offered the trip of a lifetime and a fundraising boost by one of the region's shopping centres.

Five-year-old Ben Collins has touched the hearts of people living across the North-East in the past two years as he and his parents, Paul and Sandi, battled to overcome autism which they believe was brought on by the measles, mumps and rubella jab.

As a toddler, Ben would constantly bang his head, scream, and had few communication skills. He also refused to acknowledge the presence of his little sister, Jordan.

In desperation, Mr and Mrs Collins, of New Marske, east Cleveland, turned to the Son-Rise treatment programme in the US, and have raised thousands of pounds for visits.

Since then, Ben has improvedimmeasurably. He attends New Marske Primary School part-time, is no longer classed as autistic and his developmental skills are only a year behind his age.

To his parents' delight, he now plays happily for hours with three-year-old Jordan.

Yesterday, the two children were presented with early Christmas presents by Ian Dowson, managing director of Royal Sun Alliance, landlord of the Hill Street Shopping Centre, in Middlesbrough, which has supported the family.

The whole family were given flights to the US in February, when Ben will complete his treatment, and a five-day pass to Disneyland in Florida.

To help with the £7,000 needed to fund the treatment, the centre will donate all money raised from its Santa Claus Christmas grotto to Ben's fund.

Mrs Collins said: " I can't thank them enough, words can't express how grateful I am. But the look of joy on my son's face when he gets on board that plane will be unforgettable."