A WORCESTER grandmother has made a desperate plea for help in looking after her teenage grandson who suffers behavioural problems.

Widow Pat Kelly says she is at her "wits' end" after struggling to cope with Robert for the past seven months.

The 16-year-old has Asperger's Syndrome - a form of autism - which makes the youngster prone to temper tantrums.

Mrs Kelly wants her grandson to be taken out and helped to socialise with people his own age, but she claims Worcestershire Social Services is ignoring her plight.

Mrs Kelly became Robert's legal carer this year after he left a special school in Suffolk.

His mother died from a flesh-eating virus in 1991 and his father lives in Kuwait.

"The two of us are at our wits' end," said the 71-year-old, of Muncaster Place, Warndon Villages.

"Social services just don't want to know.

"All I want is social services to take him out a couple of times a week and give him the chance to meet new friends. They say they can't find facilities to help him and I'm extremely angry."

Robert, who has a high IQ and is due to attend Worcester Technical College in September, can behave irrationally and does not understand why he cannot always have his own way.

"A couple of days ago he wanted to go to America straight away and could not understand why he couldn't do it," said Mrs Kelly.

Her last phone bill was for £1,200 as Robert spends hours on the internet which helps to hold his attention - but the pensioner cannot afford to fund his pastime.

A spokeswoman for Worcestershire Social Services said Robert was still the subject of a care order made when he lived in Somerset. This meant Somerset County Council was still legally responsible for him.

"We have been in frequent contact with Mrs Kelly and are aware of her concerns," she said.

"We are in contact with Somerset to try and see if we can do anything to help, bearing in mind our very limited budget."