A GRIEF-STRICKEN father vowed to continue his fight against a North-East care facility last night after staging a protest outside its gates.

Ken Doyle, 63, blames the Camphill Village Trust, which runs the Larchfield Community, in Middlesbrough, for the death of his Down's Syndrome son Richard.

Richard, 26, died after being hit by a van on the A19 near Crathorne, North Yorkshire, after disappearing from Larchfield on December 28, 2000.

The jury at an inquest into his death returned a unanimous verdict of accidental death, caused partly by neglect at Larchfield.

Mr Doyle, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is demanding that Camphill acknowledges it neglected Richard that night.

The Christian organisation has told him, by letter, that it never will and, from now, would only communicate with him via its solicitors.

Yesterday the former Army major put up protest signs outside Larchfield, in Hemlington, and at a nearby roundabout - but the organisation removed them.

"I think I have maybe rattled a few cages today," said Mr Doyle.

"I wanted passing drivers to see the signs and remember what happened to Richard.

"I really believe that Camphill's behaviour has not been acceptable.

"If you hurt somebody badly, taking the approach that you won't talk to them isn't going to help them one bit.

"If they really are a Christian and caring organisation then they would want to help."

James Fletcher, chairman of Larchfield's management committee, said: "We are very sorry for Mr Doyle. We are doing our level best not to have a confrontation."

He said a Larchfield worker had removed the signs after getting permission from Middlesbrough Council.

A council spokesman said: "There was an anonymous caller who complained about signs in that area.

"We dispatched the rapid reaction squad but when they got there the signs were no longer there."