THE parents of a brain-damaged schoolgirl have won a two-year battle to persuade telecommunications company BT to pay out for the road accident which left her unable to move or speak.

Ashleigh Cowen, who is now 14, was left fighting for her life when she was struck by a BT van after getting off a school bus on May 30, 2002.

After two years of physiotherapy and dozens of operations, Ashleigh returned to a specially-adapted home earlier this year.

Her only means of communicating with her family is through blinking.

Parents Michael and Michelle are now in line for a compensation payout from BT, expected to stretch to millions of pounds.

BT has admitted partial liability on behalf of the driver and a judgement is expected to be ratified in the High Court on October 11.

The company had initially denied the driver was to blame for the accident on St Bennet's Way, in Chester-le-Street.

Mrs Cowen, 40, said: "The past two years have been extremely hard because it has obviously changed our whole lives."

A former customer service manager, Mrs Cowen was forced to give up work to care for Ashleigh.

After two years of living with Mrs Cowen's mother in Gateshead, Mr Cowen, 45, a sign erector, bought a bungalow in Chester-le-Street, where thefamily lived before the accident happened.

They obtained a £40,000 council grant to make alterations to accommodate the equipment Ashleigh needs.

Ashleigh was finally able to move into the bungalow in March this year but has been in and out of hospital for further treatment since.

The payout should enable the couple to buy an electric wheelchair for Ashleigh, which costs more than £20,000.

A spokesman for BT said it was inappropriate for the company to comment before the court judgement.