A MOTHER'S nine-month fight to get a car that works to transport her ill son to hospital could end in victory thanks to an intervention by Otley's MP and the Wharfedale & Airedale Observer.

Johanna Abbott, of Chippendale Rise, Otley has had to rely on a mixture of buses, courtesy cars and hospital transport since the engine of a Rover 25 she bought from Dixon Motors in 2007 packed up.

A mother-of-three, she had purchased the car specifically to have a more reliable vehicle for transporting her three-year-old son Danao, who has kidney disease, to hospital and nursery.

Dixon Motors had promised to replace the car but went out of business shortly afterwards, and Ms Abbott has spent the last nine months trying to get someone to honour that vow.

It looked like the battle was lost when administrators BDO Stoy Hayward said they had decided not to replace the car, and would be taking their courtesy vehicle back.

But after being contacted by the Observer this week, the company seems to have had a change of heart.

Joint administrator Toby Under-wood said: "We have spoken with Ms Abbott and Mr Mulholland on several occasions since Dixon Motors went into administration, and we will continue to liaise with them, going forward.

"In the meantime, Ms Abbott will continue to have full use of the courtesy car."

Ms Abbott said: "I do feel more hopeful now. Before Christmas they said they were not going to replace the vehicle or refund the money and were going to give me my car back as it was broken. I've been told it could cost thousands to fix.

"I borrowed £4,500 from my mum to buy this car as I wanted one I could rely on if Danao needed to go to hospital for emergency treatment and to take him in for his regular appointments at St James's Hospital in Leeds."

Instead, the Rover broke down the day after she took it home and it has been sitting in a garage ever since Dixon Motors' Barnsley branch took it in for its final repair' last April.

Ms Abbott said: "They gave me a courtesy car for a little while. They said at first it would take a while to fix, then told me they decided to replace it completely. But a week later they went into administration.

"When I had to give the first courtesy car back I used the bus for a week or so but it was a nightmare and took me hours to get anywhere.

"We were having to get hospital transport to take us to St James's, which isn't ideal because I have to take my baby with me, I have all the hassle with the car seats and we have to wait for transport to get back home.

"Then the social worker managed to get funding for a month for volunteer transport, where someone came and collected Danao and took him to his nursery in Ireland Wood, which was better although my son wasn't happy about it.

"Then Mr Mulholland got involved and his office managed to get another courtesy car out of the administrators.

"I've been going in to hospital with Danao once a week until recently, and although at the moment it's every two or three weeks we may have to go back to that if he relapses again.

"I think they should replace the vehicle and I think they're in a position where they can do, because they obviously still have cars. I'm currently driving one!"

Mr Mulholland said: "I am pleased BDO Stoy Hayward are reconsidering their decision and are looking at this again and I hope that they will be able to resolve this matter to the benefit of all.

"This is a tragic situation and it is deeply concerning that the welfare of a three-year-old boy has been put under threat due to the car dealership going into administration, a situation clearly out of Ms Abbott's control.

"Ms Abbott bought the car in good faith to transport her poorly three year old child to St James's Hospital each week. It is only fair that, as the car is defective, it should be replaced or she should get a complete refund."