Mother of autistic boy, cared for 300 miles away faces Christmas without him

The mother of an autistic boy who is being looked after at a mental health hospital 300 miles away is facing another Christmas without her child.

• Watch Lise McNally's report - The mother facing Christmas without her teenage son

Adele Hanlon's son Eddie Marshall has been treated in Newcastle since he was 13. She's been campaigning to get care for him closer to their home in Bristol - and says this time of year can be the hardest of all.

Eddie has a complex range of health issues which means he needs round-the-clock care at a hospital in Newcastle. He's lived there ever since his mother was told there was nowhere near their home in Southmead which could cater to his needs.

The South West has just 54 mental health beds for children - the lowest number anywhere in the country. That's one bed, for every 20,000 people.

Adele's fight to bring Eddie closer to home has had some success. The local authority and NHS are hoping to get some bespoke care organised in Bristol. But it won't be until at least the summer.

Meanwhile the little boy who left her home is becoming a man, and Adele feels she's missing it.

There are presents for 17-year-old Eddie under the tree, and although he won't be there to open them on Christmas morning, his family will try to bring him some festive cheer.

This week they'll make the 600 mile round trip to Newcastle - a journey that starts at the crack of dawn.

Another return journey without her child - but Adele says she'll keep on campaigning to make sure no other family have to face the holidays hundreds of miles apart.