ALMOST from the moment he was born, Stephen McKinney made strange, cat-like noises.

When he was eight months old, a leading geneticist told his mother, Jane, that Stephen was suffering from an extremely rare genetic disorder, called Cri-du-Chat - the cry of the cat.

The condition, only identified in 1964, affects just one person in 50,000.

Despite his problems, Stephen had beaten all the odds to learn to walk at the age of four-and-a-half, had learned a basic sign language, and had developed into a happy little boy.

He even attended school at the Priory, in Hexham.

However, when the family moved from Allendale, in Northumberland, to Lanchester, in Durham, Durham County Council told Jane and her husband, David, that their son had to leave his special needs school.

Durham County Council had paid a disputed weekly sum for a taxi, to take him from Lanchester to Hexham, as the nearer Villa Real School in Consett was full. But now, a place had become available at Villa Real, and Stephen must move.

Jane said yesterday: "Stephen is as happy now as he has ever been. He has settled well at Villa Real and is going from strength to strength.

"I am happy to say our fears were unfounded, and we are extremely happy with how it has turned out for him.

"Stephen has even had his friends from the Priory popping down to his new school for a visit. I still say I was right in principle, but it was all for Stephen's happiness, and he has that now."

That was a sentiment that is echoed by head of Villa Real, Fiona Wood.

She said: "It's as if Stephen has always been here."