A YOUNG brittle bone sufferer from Aiskew has finally got her own permanent transport after being on a waiting list for five years.

Miss Angie Stewart's father, Bob, has previously driven her around in vehicles leased from Motability, the registered charity which helps to keep the disabled mobile, but she has also had to be lifted in and out of the family estate car in her wheelchair.

She travelled to and from Teesside university in a taxi paid for by North Yorkshire education authority, and since she began working at the offices of the county probation service in Northallerton, she has been using a Bedale firm's first wheelchair-friendly taxi with help from the social services department.

All that is set to change, however. The specially-converted Mercedes Vito people carrier, just delivered by Motability after setbacks involving its supply, is on a long lease and will be hers for as long as she needs it.

The £40,000 Mercedes has been adapted as a one-off for Miss Stewart by Mr Jim Doran, who runs a specialist firm in Coventry, but before she can use it on the road she must pass her test and arrange insurance.

Adapted after a year of trials, tests and fitting, the Mercedes has a tiny steering wheel, 6in in diameter, to prevent damage to Miss Stewart's delicate arms. Key features like ignition, parking, reversing, lights, horn, radio and windows are all controlled by touch pads, while doors and the rear lift are operated by remote control. Once in the driving position, Miss Stewart's wheelchair is automatically clamped by a permanent locking system on the vehicle floor.

Miss Stewart, aged 22, of Meadowfield, Aiskew, has already had the chance to get the feel of the Mercedes on private land belonging to a friend of the family and is looking forward to the independent life she has wanted for so long.

She said: "I will not have to rely on anyone else any more and will be able to do what I want when I want.

"Now I want to find a driving instructor and pass my test as soon as possible."

Mr Ian Matthews, of Aiskew, a member of a team which raised £13,500 in 12 weeks for a new wheelchair for Miss Stewart in 1997, said the wait for the Mercedes had been a story of courage and exhaustive travel and tests at great cost, both to Miss Stewart and her family.

He added: "This has been a success story of a young woman's fight for independence and freedom against severe handicap and odds, without complaint. Always grateful and never taking anything for granted, she is a shining light in what may be achieved, ably supported by her parents."

Motability said three years ago that it was having difficulty in finding a specialist firm to produce Miss Stewart's vehicle and offered her an interim solution involving a converted Fiat Fiorino van in which her father could carry her