VOLUNTEERS are needed to help a young boy get treatment for the autism which has taken over his life.

Three-year-old Ben Collins developed autism as a baby and his parents, Sandi and Paul, are desperate to take him to America for specialist treatment.

The couple, from New Marske, are fundraising to get the money to take Ben to a centre in America,which encourages parents to work with their autistic children to help their development.

The centre's work is controversial, but Mrs Collins is sure it will help her son.

After reading about Ben's illness, staff at the Hill Street Shopping Centre in Middlesbrough have offered help. A giant nursery rhyme clock will decorate the centre over the summer holidays and shopping centre officials have suggested it becomes a centrepiece for Ben's fundraising campaign.

Mrs Collins and a team of volunteers will be collecting money at the clock seven-days-a-week for six weeks from Monday, as well as raising awareness of autism.

Mrs Collins said: "What we really need are volunteers to help us do the collecting.

"We want to be at the centre all the time so we can get as much money as possible, but we need people to help.

"Hopefully, this will be the last push in fundraising then we can get on with working with Ben.

"We are very grateful to the shopping centre for giving us this opportunity to raise much-needed funds to take Ben to America."

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help the Collins collect at the centre should call (01642) 514576.